Before the internet
we used telephones,
not in our hands, but on kitchen wall.
We had to take turns, we had to be home,
and all we could do was talk.
I can even remember a “party line”
we shared with other households,
Before making a call, we picked up the phone
to see if our neighbor was on the line.
If they were, we had to wait
until they finished theirs.
It’s hard to even imagine today
the life we had back then.
More contemplation, more time alone,
no random AI listening,
None of that. NONE of that.
More personal time, more privacy,
Unless we were talking on a phone at home,
we were talking face-to-face.
No texting, no zooming, no Instagram or “X”,
no FaceBook, or Snapchat, no TicTok
or Messenger,
no teenagers worried what their friends thought
of their latest video.
No 24/7 bullying,
when we went home, it stopped.
— Last night I mentioned something,
never googled it, or searched.
Today it appeared on FaceBook
while scrolling messages.
Men now have AI girlfriends — they never disagree,
Women have AI boyfriends — “they always listen to me.”
We need face-to-face conversation, holding each other’s hand,
Sharing difficult topics and trying to understand,
I have no patience for texting, and I like my time alone,
So please excuse my slow response and not answering my phone.
cfblack 5-27-25
Doctor Grandma 