A radio talk show host noted that he sat at a table in his favorite restaurant next to four people, each engaged in rousing conversation with somebody else via cellphones!

Perhaps we have all been guilty of not focusing on the people we are with. Such discourteous behavior is not limited to cellphones, as the number of electronic distractions is nearly infinite.

Why is it that long-distance intruders take precedence over present company? Why is our attention span limited to sound bites? Children face similar challenges on road trips when pining for the destination at the expense of the journey, with "Are we there yet?"

Being in the moment and focusing on the people we are with is more than mere courtesy; it is a foundation for respect. Besides, a courteous mind is teachable and likeable.

There is a common cause for the electronic distraction described earlier. Like the Epicureans and Stoics of Paul’s day, our society is obsessed "to tell or hear some new thing" (Acts 17: 18-21). The more we seek to stimulate our senses, the more sensations our appetites demand.

By overindulging in the distraction of gadgetry, we risk becoming a sound bite ourselves.

Tools of technology

Technology opens us to a new world of communication, science, medicine and business. It can also be a marvelous tool for scripture study, sharing the gospel and researching family history.

The tools of technology are not evil, but when they become obsessive detours, our obeisance to them begins to sprout a life of its own. Among these distractions are the hours spent by our youths (and some adults) in the games of the electronic world.

The thrill of gadgets

Observe any car with a racing stripe. Is it used for basic transportation or simply to feed the driver’s ego? Such drivers weave around cars because they view traffic as an unfair roadblock to their personal speedway. The faster they go, the faster they must go.

Like cellphones, a car with a racing stripe is not a detour if operated with wisdom. However, some are addicted to the euphoria of the medium at the expense of the content. Adroit text messengers come to mind: slaves to the medium at the cost of the message.

Technology is a means to an end. Of the tools of technology, the late Elder Neal A. Maxwell, of the Quorum of the Twelve, counseled, "We rightfully worry about taming our technology so that it serves us, rather than dominates us. But we cannot tame our technology without taming ourselves" (Neal A. Maxwell, "Eternalism vs. Secularism," Ensign, October 1974, p.69).

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Be where you are

Whatever the source of the distraction, recognize that valueless information, no matter how miraculous its medium, is still valueless. Value the people you are with. Respect the place you are in. Cherish the here and now.

Do not journey to a far country by ignoring the present company of people who count in your life. The distance may be a spiritual detour and the destination a prodigal dead end.

William Monahan graduated from BYU law school. An Air Force veteran and former Phoenix stake president, he teaches law and serves as a high councilor for QC Chandler Heights Stake. He begins service July 2012 as a mission president.

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