Relationship Column: Socially Stunted

 Alex Parker

I’m not sure if I have mentioned this in the past but I waitress part-time. You may wonder why this is relevant to a relationship column. Well, stop doubting me because it is.

I see dozens of couples that are out to eat and/or on first dates come through the restaurant on a Saturday night. In fact, I would even go as far as to say that they make up the majority of our guests on “date night.” I’ve seen some really awkward first dates, guys make total fools out of themselves, girls blabber on endlessly while the guy looks like he would rather stick a fork in his eye then listen to her, I’ve even had a guy ask me to hide an engagement ring in a dessert. You name it, I’ve seen it. The one thing that I can’t get past, the thing that drives me absolutely batty is couples that sit across from each other, on their cell phones for the entire meal.

Have we truly reached the point that we can’t bare to sit at a table and eat a meal, which takes all of about an hour, without taking that damned thing out of your bag/pocket? WHY? Who is so important that you absolutely must talk to them at that very second? Besides, one of the most important people in your life should be sitting right across from you.

Even if you’re not texting, what are you doing? Playing games? Really? That is unbelievably rude and obnoxious. You’d be surprised at how often it happens too. If I were to put a number on it, I’d say that at least one out of every five couples that I come across are looking at their phone. It’s almost like they can’t stand to be around each other. They sit, I take their order where they may exchange a few words, and once I leave they whip the phones right out and begin typing away. The art of conversation is withering away. It is almost obsolete at the point.

These people obviously aren’t on first dates, they’re over the “honeymoon phase,” but to sit for over an hour and barely exchange ten words to each other is just beyond me. If I was out to dinner with someone and they were on their phone the whole time, I would probably just leave. I don’t see the point in going out to a nice dinner if you are not even going to attempt to enjoy each other’s company. You may as well stay home and get take out, save time, energy, and money.