We used to pray at bedtime. Now we check our smartphones

What is one of the first things most of us do when we wake up or before we go to bed? 

Well, years ago the answer would have been to bow our knees and to pray. However, it seems this has been replaced with bowing our necks and checking our smartphones to see which e-mail, Facebook or Twitter message may have come in. 

Recently I attended a Social Media Summit hosted by the Bermuda Sun and the Chamber of Commerce. 

It seems more than 70 percent of us are hooked on Facebook. And about 20 per cent of us are hooked on Twitter or Instagram. Guess that pretty much sums up why our mobile devices are near glued to our hands. 

That accounts for why BBM reigns supreme. Now that BlackBerry Messenger is able to be used on all mobile devices, we will see a slow but sure end to ‘Whatsapp’ which will soon be known as ‘Whatwasthat?’

Hit me up on my BB PIN 239E8772.
 

Over the weekend I attended the 46th Annual PLP Banquet. It is our annual family reunion in many ways. 

Many people never thought they would see the PLP last five years, let alone 50.

So for that generation, my parents’ generation, this was indeed a milestone event. The hall was full, with roughly 350 people from all walks of life. Ladies dressed in their finest and gents in their Sunday best. 

Food and entertainment flowed seamlessly. PLP Leader Marc Bean delivering a speech focused on reminding us of what our purpose as a political party is truly about: Empowering our fellow Bermudians and ourselves.

Even the most ardent critics of the PLP are at a loss to find fault with that philosophy. 

Many people have e-mailed me or called me about my Sun columns. Eighty per cent of the time we arrange to meet face to face, as Bermudian culture dictates. The thing I find most intriguing about these meetings is that we as humans always seem to have preconceived notions about “those other people.” 

“Those other people” might be white, black, Bermudian, non-Bermudian, PLP or OBA. We all are guilty of thinking, “those people do not have anything in common with me, and only want to argue with me”.

I encourage people to refrain from assuming things about “those people”. Take an hour of your week to speak with someone whom you would  normally not give a second glance.

We face many challenges and the way forward is not through politics or changing laws. 

Our way forward as a country requires ordinary citizens to pull together, find common ground and start moving in the same direction.