Commandments- at least most of them

My traditional Sunday beer outing with Dad provides a study break when I have a lot of weekend work to accomplish. I've been staring down my laptop for the better part of my waking hours last night and today. Newspaper. Of course.

It's good to have some scheduled time with the folks. I was having a conversation yesterday with a woman who is married to a Minnesotan. We talked about Midwestern values. That's what this boils down to for me. I was raised by people who taught me it is a good idea to pay attention to your parents. They did it through example. 

As Dad and I were enjoying beers today, we got to talking about this discussion I had yesterday and about Midwestern values.  Somehow, that bled into a discussion of the Ten Commandments. I ended up lining out the ones I'm really good at accomplishing. 

I have never murdered. I don't covet my neighbor's ass. I honor my mother and my father like a champ. 

Dad concurred. I excel at not murdering, not coveting and honoring the folks. 

As we were enjoying our time at The Flying Saucer and I was honoring my father and all, we noticed the sheer number of people who were staring at tiny phone screens in lieu of talking to the people near them. 

Pathetic. Pa-freaking-thetic. 

So, a new commandment, everyone. Thou shalt acknowledge the humans in front of you instead of your phones. It seems like a reasonable commandment for the times in which we live. I couldn't find a table of people who looked at each other for more than a minute without staring at a phone screen.  I am just sad that I had to use my phone in order to take the picture on the phone addicts.

Maybe, if the 11th commandment is that thou shalt acknowledge humans in front of you, the 12th one should be something about always maintaining your appreciation of irony.