Bye Bye Drop in

It's true, I guess, nobody does the drop in anymore, you know you're in the neighborhood you realize you're close to someone's home, we like, and you decide to drop by. This is such a big deal I didn't think until this weekend. We were downtown shopping that one of our favorite Asian markets and decide to drop in on some folks who just moved in the area and just do a quick visit. We are rather shocked when we received what we perceive as flat-out hostility. And that was that, we quickly backed out of the neighborhood and headed home. Enough said about this unfortunate event except to say we did meet with the family the next day had a great Sunday lunch and everything is fine… I hope.

Which is caused me to ponder quite a bit over the evening and this morning over the fact that nobody really does the drop in anymore. The drop in is a dead concept. Perhaps the culprit is the cell phone and the fact that almost everyone has a cell phone and one doesn't have a real excuse not to call ahead. But why is dropping by such an offense? Are we in such a disarray of life never ready on a moments notice to have someone visit? I have to admit I know unless I know there is someone coming over early to our home or I haven't morning meeting or commitment I can often be found naked at our house. And I felt the anxiety of having a knock on the front door when I'm not ready for visitors. Perhaps if we had more visitors I would be up in the morning dressed first thing ready to receive people.

Maybe just maybe cell phones are the blame. I see my brother maybe twice a year usually around Christmas time when he delivers our annual bucket of Ice Free. He never just drops it off but always calls to make sure we're home and ready to receive visitors even though he rarely comes in for more than 10 min. Unless there is a family emergency, family reunion or other unique event I do not see him or he calls before he comes. Interesting. When my friends were used to work, a bachelor, someone a bit introverted but very appropriate highly socialized always called it ever he were to drop in. I don't think he would ever just dropping-- he's not built that way. Other than that I'm don't have any friends that do the drop which is sad.

I must confess, being ignorant to the whole dropping thing. I still do the drop in thing. I often go next door with a stick and pound on the door of our neighbors, until someone comes up answers the door. When they do my neighbors often in her curlers and housecoat (since I often lower in the early morning). They're both seniors even older than I so maybe they still understand the drop in. phenomenon. I guess I will have to call now to make sure I can visit my neighbor who just got out of hospital and I don't think can climb the stairs from his back door by himself anymore, by himself. I shall have to give them ample forewarning or maybe not.

So, one more pleasantry has been stripped from the human fabric. The drop in. I think I am going to miss thnt one,