It is against the law to walk past the Zabars grocery store without making a quick visit, maybe not to buy groceries, but to get samples…duh. A couple days ago I was on my way home and as usual, took a pit stop at Zabars. The minute I enter that store, I take in the mouthwatering cheese aroma. I quicken my pace so I can get the biggest cheese sample before anyone else. Then, I’ll turn the corner to get a sample of the best delicacy. Prosciutto.

Here is where I spend most of my time. I’ll take a sample and I’ll wait for a few minutes. I’ll take another and act as if I am contemplating to buy it. And finally I’ll take a third and then the plan is just to run. Other days, I’ll go from a pony tail to half up half down to a braid. Three different hairstyles sometimes means three different visitors, eh? A couple days ago, however, the prosciutto stand was very popular and I had to wait a while to get my second sample.
I stood there patiently with one of my ear buds in my right ear but the music stopped playing, meanwhile I was still glancing at my phone in my left hand. This old man inconsiderately pushes through to take some prosciutto. He turns to the lady in charge of the stand, stares at me with so much disapproval, and starts blabbing. “What would she even do without that stupid toy?” I looked up at him, but he kept rambling. “It’s like she wouldn’t be able to live without that stupid gadget.”
Dear Mister Mean Old Man at Zabars,
First of all would you mind speaking any louder? Common, I am literally right next to you.
Second of all, this is NOT a toy… sir…. this is called an iphone! It is an amazing invention. There is also something called respect. You should try it out someday!
Pardon my sarcasm, but in all seriousness, you are extremely offensive. Not only are you calling my phone stupid, but you’re implying that I am too. I am a stupid, technology reliant airhead is what you think. I am a clueless, dumb teenager is what you think.
I want to let you know that you are wrong for articulating loud and clear how I would be stranded without technology.
But, yes there is a but, you instigated an interesting thought in my head. About technology. Not about quote unquote “clueless teenagers”. What will our world look like in fifty years? Each year, we are delving into a more technologically advanced society, where all the new devices start doing more work and we start doing less. The new invention of hover boards is making our society look less like reality and more like the movie, Wall-E. The recent invention of google glasses looks more like the movie, “Final Cut” with Robin Williams, and less like real life. Movies like these are not supposed to be spot on realistic, but I fear they are getting closer to reality each day.
Excuse my brief rant, sir. It is, though, actually quite scary to think about the near future and how reliant society may be on technology .
In the future, if you say that to me, who knows- you might just be stating the truth! If it were 2075, and we are both standing at the prosciutto stand, and you say, “It’s like she wouldn’t be able to live without that stupid gadget”, I may just look at you and say “duh”. Maybe I won’t even be offended because you are stating the obvious. Maybe I will be confused on what gadget you’re talking about because I actually own a more advanced “phone” that is a hologram instead, which works by my thoughts controlling what we call “buttons” nowadays.
It is all a mystery. But in 2015, I think we are all capable of relying on other things rather just technology. Yes, we all love our iphones. However, it is not our only friend.
I have nothing else to say to you besides think before you speak. And if you skip that step, you need a lot more justification.
Sincerely, the intelligent, capable, and friendly teenage girl at Zabars,
Abby