We capture various moments in life through lenses, then curate and edit them to look beautiful and flawless. Bingo! The job is done. A final version is ready. We can’t wait to showcase it to the world.
While we focus on documenting our latest movements in every step of the way, have we forgotten to live it instead? Now distractions are just about everywhere. People affected by it are on the rise. Many experts have said that social media is often to blame. But if we’re honest with ourselves, that’s just a scapegoat, it’s us made it that way.
When was the last time you ever sat down and had a proper meal without bowing to any other stimuli? Can you remember? Or does it feel like a distant memory already?
A couple of days ago I had a business lunch with a group of four associates in a nearby 5-star hotel. It was organised a month beforehand by the hotel’s Director of Sales and Marketing to show appreciation for my on-going support. Being invited to an event like this, I was very much looking forward to it.
We met up in the lobby first, then were taken to one of the reserved tables in the restaurant upstairs. When we got there, they kindly offered me to sit at the head of the table. I gratefully accepted it.
The waiter who came to serve us was gentle and polite. He pulled my chair out and let me sit comfortably. From that moment on, I felt like I was treated like a VIP. You don’t call it a 5 star hotel for nothing.
After we all sat down, I put my phone down on one side of the table roughly one elbow away from my eyesight. I think I was the only guy who had the phone in sight. All others had their phones tucked away somewhere.
At all times we were totally engaged in the conversation. None of us were distracted by other things around us except when the bright sunlight was streaming through the windows, hurting one of the guests’ eyes, only then we had to stop and ask the waiter to adjust the blinds to bring them down. Other than that, we were 100% present in our interaction.
Later when the waiter brought me the entrée and the main course I’d ordered, I was so impressed with the presentation. They looked too good to eat! No, wasn’t me. I’m not one of those Facebook users who’d be quick to reach for their phone and take a few photos. None of us was tempted. We just left our phones alone and carried on our talks and simply enjoyed the food. Must say it tasted very delicious. Just what I needed.
It was amazing how nearly 2 hours of lunch went by just like that. As they say, time flies when you’re having fun. Needless to say, I loved every minute of it, didn’t want it to stop. But hey some of us had to go back to work…
Ted Tsai 