I went out to lunch and dessert with a friend today. The food was fine (I really enjoyed the Korean BBQ cauliflower “wings” at Pure Kitchen and the waffle cone at Moo Shu. YUM!!), but this is not a food post.

It’s a people-watching post.

In particular, it’s a two-young-girls-who-were-at-Moo-Shu-watching post. I say “young girls”, but they were about 18-20. To me, those are young girls. And it couldn’t have been clearer that there is a huge generation gap between us.

They were the poster children of living your life through your phone and being completely oblivious to the real world around you.

First, they spent an inordinate amount of time picking their flavours. I felt so badly for the poor girl working the counter. She was so patient. I mean soooooo patient. Moo Shu makes their ice cream themselves so they don’t have 30 mass-produced flavours or whatever to pick over. I think there were maybe 10 or 12 flavours. I’m not known for quick selections and even I made my decision before they did. In fact, my friend had gotten there a while before I did (I had parking issues) and she said they had been there at the counter quite a while before I even arrived, completely oblivious to the fact that there were people waiting in line behind them.

I need to explain that it’s a tiny ice cream parlour. There are seats for maybe 12 people so you can’t help but see what’s happening. The girls – let’s call them The Gigglers (cuz there was a lot of that going on) – came over to an open spot at a table right next to us. We had no choice but to be aware because they were inches away from us.

Where most people would eat the food they’ve ordered when they get it, The Gigglers proceded to behave as though they were on a photo shoot. They didn’t just take the now-normal 1-3 pictures of what they were about to eat. No…that would be too…too…I don’t know. But it wasn’t an option.

Instead they took I would say at least 30 pictures. First, inside the shop (because apparently the whole place needed to be part of the photo shoot): standing in front of the store mural on the wall right next to us, showing just the ice cream in the bowl, then them (one at a time and then together), then various shots at the table (giggling constantly, of course). Still all the while not even having dipped their spoons in the bowl, other than to show the spoon in a pose.

But then…la pièce de résistance: They took it outside!!!!! They left their coats and bags and WENT OUTSIDE to TAKE PICTURES!!!! OF THE ICE CREAM!!! IN WINTER!!! OUTSIDE!!! Sure, it was a warmer day than it’s been in quite a while, but it was still below freezing. Plus…what the heck??!!

It was funny. And ridiculous. And to me dumbfounding. Eat the goll-durned ice cream already.

Eventually they did. Tiny spoonful by tiny spoonful, while sitting together – on their phones.

They were still at it when we left. They might still be there, drinking it with a straw by now, though, as it’s been about 3 hours.

Well, I tell you, it could not have been clearer that I am part of a completely different generation.

But somehow, even while I have my judgy old-lady attitude on, I suspect that they are equally comfortable and happy in their living-online existence as I am with my living-IRL* existence. And (other than the bit about not caring about how your actions impact those around you), who’s to say it really matters anyway?

*IRL = in real life. Yeah, I know some online lingo. I don’t live online, but, hey, I’m not a total luddite! 😉