I am out walking with our dog Sasha. 
“Kia ora!” I say cheerily to a woman approaching me. She notices me with a slight double-take, removes her ear buds.
“Sorry – what was that?’ she asks.
“Um – just hello – lovely day” I say lamely.
“Oh. Hi” she says, reinserting the ear buds.
“Sorry to disturb your podcast” I reply, mostly genuine, but with a sprinkling of hurt feelings, and maybe a dusting of sarcasm.
But she is gone.
And I get it. Why not listen to beautiful music or an informative discussion while walking? Why not multi-process, and add to the experience?
And yet, what is lost? Did she notice the young rimu boldly pushing its way above the manuka, or hear the pīpīwharauroa / shining cuckoo, or feel the fleeting touch of sunlight as the clouds parted?
But then, how much do I really notice? I might be unplugged from my device, but my mind is busy and distracted, and moments of deep connection to nature are rare and fleeting.
Then I see Sasha the dog, trotting ahead with tail high, sniffing the warm, moist spring earth, bounding back with tongue lolling. Utter and complete delight in the world around her, utterly and completely in the moment.
I aspire to be like my dog.
So I had my ears cleaned out recently. Yep. Earwax. So I ask the guy doing it, “whats causing this? Ive not had the issue for decades.” He simply asks, “have you been using earbuds lately?” “Yep. Been forced to by a work situation. Long story.” “There’s your problem” he says. “Ive been seeing a steady increase in work with young people – teenagers – since those things became a thing.”
So there you have it. Let the unsociable people stay plugged in and one day soon they will find themselves with a bloke vacuuming earwax from their ears. That’ll teach them.
As I understand it, none of his patients are dogs.
Not sure what my point is Kate. Maybe its that intentionally being unsociable has a number of prices to pay in time.
Thanks Malcolm! Well that is not a reason I would have thought of for disconnecting from our devices….
Lovely reminder to switch off and live in the moment just like our beautiful dogs Kate!
I try to change my twice daily, ‘I have to walk the dog’ to, ‘I GET TO WALK THE DOG!’ So much to see, hear and feel in our ever more forested communities. Good on you, Kate.
thank you Cheryl and Yvonne – fully agree. We are first time dog owners, and it is quite a joy!