Unplugged

Photo Randy Vanderveen Near Debolt, Alberta, July 22/08 Dale Thompson (left) and Brian King (straw hat) talk to each other while getting ready to start their day on horse back at the North Goodwin Stock Improvement Association's lease.Late last week I had the opportunity to spend a day at the North Goodwin Stock Improvement Association's grazing lease with cowboys Dale Thompson, Brian King and Michael Dimion. It was an opportunity to see up close some of what a working cowboy does on a daily basis.

However, after I got home and was editing photos I saw these two photos and got to thinking.

Cell phone service can be spotty. Face it the cell phone companies are interested in being where the money is, and for clients Central Canada, the Eastern Sea Board and the West Coast are a whole lot more profitable markets than Wyoming or northern Alberta or the Yukon and Alaska. In fact in many places you might as well give up on trying to get service.

Where I live, the service can be spotty but a person still tends to have the phone on and counts on it being available and almost chained to it.Photo Randy Vanderveen Near Debolt, Alberta, July 22/08 Dale Thompson (background) and Michael Dimion answer calls and check messages on one of the few areas where cell service is available on the North Goodvin Stock Improvement Association lease where they were working. It is very unusual for the cowboys to actually receive any calls on their wireless phones while out on the grazing lease east of the Smoky River in the South Peace because service is so spotty.

It is too easy to become reliant on the cell phone (just so I am not picking on the cell companies) or social media like Twitter, Facebook or even just email. (Kind of seems to be a hypocritical post on a blog!)

Often I am guilty of emailing or telephoning instead of getting out and talking to people face to face. It is kind of funny as when I worked at the paper that was sometimes the complaint I had about reporters and yet in my business life I am guilty of the same thing.

As a newspaper photographer I had to get out and relate to people face to face — it is kind of difficult to take photos over the phone. But more than that I dealt with them personally, I could read their body language, would often spend more time with them than I would have if I was talking to them on the phone. Often talking to people face to face also provided more photo or story ideas.

While not everyone wanted to have their photos taken or were even glad to see me, it did form a relationship that while fleeting is far more personal than over the air waves or internet.

I think sometimes that spotty cell phone service is a reminder that we need to get unplugged and spend personal time alone with family, friends and faith. Electronic interruptions can not only take the precious time away from those who are important to us but can also rob us of creative inspiration.

I am not advocating we all toss away our cell phones and computers just saying maybe those we come in contact with would enjoy some face time rather than Facebooktime.

Just a thought.