Get off the cell phone

I have a 9am class M-Th at Merritt College. Merritt is the most beautiful of the four campuses that comprise the Peralta Community College District. From its parking lot, high in the Oakland Hills, one can see a good third or more of the Bay Area. This morning, coming out of class, I realized that it was a beautiful day, perhaps the nicest day of the year so far. It was warm, sunny, and clear. I've been trying to pull my running out of a slump lately, and I decided to go for a ninety minute jog up into Redwood Regional Park. The last time I had a run as good as today's was shortly after Thanksgiving. I didn't have time to go deep into the park, but I went in a little ways and saw folks walking, with dogs or with friends, it looks like a lot of them had the same idea that I did. coming home, man, I was just happy, until I got back into my neighborhood, where there is a mini park that I have to go through to get home. As I cruised by, I heard some woman yammering away about some sort of business transaction on a cell phone. I think that's kind of sad. Here it was, perhaps the most gorgeous day of the year thus far, and she's still leashed to her cell phone. She probably felt that it was better than being in her cubicle, which I guess I could agree with. But the incessant desire to be at work, even when one is not at work, is a little sad.