This poem is for Martha S. and anyone else who loves the elderly.
Old Folks Laugh
They have spent their content of simpering, holding their lips this and that way, winding the lines between their brows. Old folks allow their bellies to jiggle like slow tambourines. The hollers rise up and spill over any way they want. When old folks laugh, they free the world. They turn slowly, slyly knowing the best and the worst of remembering. Saliva glistens in the corners of their mouths, their heads wobble on brittle necks, but their laps are filled with memories. When old folks laugh, they consider the promise of dear painless death, and generously forgive life for happening to them.
The latest craze is Pokemon Go. Just as I didn't give in to Flappy Bird, Yik Yak, or any of those dating apps, I don't plan to download Pokemon Go. Anyway, I can understand the game vicariously through my friends. Other people can feel free to play the game (power to them), but I'm going to choose to let this phase pass me by (or I'll jump on it a few months down the road like I did with SnapChat and Instagram).
Here are my reasons for not downloading the app at this moment:
(just to be clear, I did enjoy playing the Gameboy Pokemon games as a child. I still am intrigued by the world known as Pokemon.)
1. I don't know how people have time to be on the app. It seems that you'd have to invest time into this. Everyone is different about how they choose to spend their time, but I have other ways I'd rather spend my free time.
2. I love taking walks, but I don't like to be on my phone when I'm walking. I want to enjoy the world around me and the people with me.
3. It seems kind of dangerous. Walking and being on your phone is dangerous period, but this is extended amounts of time walking and staring at a screen. It could be very easy to walk into the road or a stationary object. Also, trainers, be sure to walk with a buddy and pay attention to your surroundings. There have already been stories of people getting lured into dangerous situations because someone is taking advantage of an innocent game.
4. It dominates conversation, even when it's not being played. "Have you caught a Pikachu?" "Which team did you choose?" "Where did you find that Jigglypuff?"
5. It would drain my phone battery.
6. I'm kind of anti-phones anyway. Granted I use it quite a bit on a daily basis, but I'd rather not add another reason to use it.
7. It creates a new reality. "There's a Squirtle over there!" Umm, no, that's a tree. I do love fiction and imagination, but I need a line between fiction and reality. This app pushes the line just a bit too much for me.
8. There are some security concerns. Do a quick search about security concerns with Pokemon Go and you'll find concerns about Google access, tracking, and hostile attacks. It's a little early in the game's release to know how accurate they are, but I'd rather not take the risk until they definitely clear those up.
9. It's going to cause problems with trespassing. People be smart about where you're going to catch Pokemon. Remember the person whose yard you're walking through may not see the Pokemon that show up on your screen.
10. It seems that right now the demand is so high that it just keeps freezing on people. I don't need that kind of frustration in my life.
None of this is to say that others shouldn't play the game. I'm sure it's enjoyable once you start, and I'll probably talk with you about it if you're playing. I just don't plan to download one more app that could cause one more addition. I already have plenty of technology addictions.
Maybe the bottom line is that I'm just a bit of a Granny.
Cheers!
The quality isn't great, but here's a protest song that I found on YouTube.
