Originally Published the Week of July 18, 2021 in Western Outdoor Publications
AM I MISSING SOMETHING?
I was sitting in our restaurant the other day here in La Paz. It’s kind of a big multi-story eatery over-looking the waterfront. Sometimes, it’s nice to bring my laptop upstairs to work.
I get some fresh breezes and sunshine. I get to people-watch all the goings-on downstairs on the beach. And I get to visit with folks a bit too.
It’s also difficult avoiding a bit of eaves-dropping and observing.
So, there’s one table over there with a family of five. Mom and dad. Three kids. Two girls and one boy. Maybe ranging from 12 (the girl) to 9 (the youngest boy).
No one is talking. At least not what I would call talking.
All of them, mom and dad included, are all on their cellphones. Tapping.
I think some of them are actually communicating with each other via text on their phones rather than just looking up and saying something to the other family member.
The only conversation I hear is a comment about what they are reading, but loud enough for the rest of the table to hear…and comment. If anyone else is interested.
Random comments just thrown out there like playing cards on the table…
“I simply CANNOT believe it, Shelly broke up with Lance over the phone.”
“Did you see where Danny and Elaine are finally engaged?”
“Wait, hold on, I’m streaming the NBA finals and the Bucks are down by two”
Even when the food arrived or when one of my servers asked them something, there was merely a perfunctory one or two-word response before getting back to whatever was no that tiny screen.
Tap…tap…tap…thumbs flying. Somehow mastered the ability to eat and type at the same time.
But who am I to judge, right? There musta been some really important critical communication going on at that table. (“Joes’ family gets to go to Hawaii next month!” “Our neighbors got a new dog!” )
There was another family next to them.
Family of four. One girl. One boy.
Ages 10-12…maybe. Honest. Hard to tell.
She kinda dressed like a boy…torn jeans…cropped hair…baseball hat. He was dressed in lanky stovepipe pants that were pastel-colored with and hot pink t-shirt.
Mom and dad were very nice and conversant when I visited the table to make sure everything was OK.
Kids…hmmmm…
Never took their sunglasses off. Oozing attitude. Bored. Disaffected.
“Why are we here when we could be somewhere else?” unsaid behind the smirks.
One of the boys said, “Can you turn down the music? It bothers me.”
Said what he said and I was “dismissed” to go turn down the Jimmy Buffet music I had in the background.
No “please” or “thank you.”
Yessireee…right on it, young master.
Parents not affected by the attitude.
They had a hard time finding something on the menu for the boys.
“Are your chicken wings as good as Buffalo Wild Wings? That’s our favorite and that’s the only place we eat them. “
“Do you have more things on the menu to choose from? Mostly, you have Mexican food and I don’t like tortillas. Or cheese. Or beans.”
They eventually ordered plain hot dogs on buns and had two orange soda floats each and pretty much ate in silence. Like they couldn’t wait to get out and why’d mom and and dad drag us out here?
Sunglasses never came off. One kid never took his ear plugs outta his ears.
Down the other end. Dad and two boys. Young teens. I wasn’t quite sure if both were his sons, but it might have been a son with a chum along on the trip.
I got the impression this was an absentee dad. Maybe a divorce? Out to take his son out on a trip. Some bonding time.
I heard him talking to them about maybe some beach time. How about a snorkel trip to swim with the sealions? Or maybe do some fishing or kayaking!
Hot dang! We’ll have a great time, boys! What d’ya say?
He was really excited and trying hard to sell the activities.
The boys…pasty-white complexions that never go outside…and stylishly-gelled hair…
Wanted to know where they could get massages and a manicure and pedicure. And if the hotel had NETFLIX.
Dad was a bit crestfallen. Understandably.
Am I missing something? I had to ask myself. What’s going on?
This kinda stuff is not uncommon from what I see…almost daily.
I don’t think I’m missing anything.
I think THEY are missing something. The kids AND the parents. On so many levels.
I wanted them to get excited about the view of the ocean or the sunset or even an “OOOooo”and “Ahhhh…” over a dumb plate of nachos. Or the anticipation of jumping in the water or going fishing.
But no.
Yea…there’s a lot missing these days.
Maybe it’s just me. I’m old and old school. Not hip enough.
My wife Jill says I’m “outdated” because I still use e-mail and all our grown kids use Instagram and Tik Tok and Twitter and Whatsapp and…and…and..
Can’t keep up with all those social platforms. I miss plain conversation with my own family. Obviously, these families don’t miss it at all.
Yup! Life has just passed me by. But, I haven’t missed much. Just eavesdropping and watching the tables.
And taking it all in. And thinking with a smirk of my own.
That’s my story!
Jonathan
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Jonathan Roldan has been writing the Baja Column in Western Outdoor News since 2004. Along with his wife and fishing buddy, Jilly, they own and run the Tailhunter International Fishing Fleet in La Paz, Baja, Mexico www.tailhunter.com.
They also run their Tailhunter Restaurant Bar on the famous La Paz malecon waterfront. If you’d like to contact him directly, his e-mail is: jonathan@tailhunter.com
Or drop by the restaurant to say hi. It’s right on the La Paz waterfront!
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Jonathan Roldan’s
Tailhunter International
Website:
www.tailhunter-international.com
Mexico Office: Tailhunter International, 755 Paseo Obregon, La Paz, Baja Sur, Mexico
U.S. Mailing Address: Tailhunter International, 8030 La Mesa Blvd. #178, La Mesa CA 91942
Phones:
from USA : 626-638-3383
from Mexico: 044-612-14-17863
.
Tailhunter Weekly Fishing Report: http://fishreport.jonathanroldan.com/
Tailhunter YouTube Video Channel:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCBLvdHL_p4-OAu3HfiVzW0g
“When your life finally flashes before your eyes, you will have only moments to regret all the things in life you never had the courage to try.”
That's My Story 
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