Good News - July 2019

More peaceful, less stressful and simpler. Gita Santangelo , community prayer partner More peaceful. Less hectic. JoAnne Larson Daudt, P.A. Remember the phones on the wall? I remember having to dial in to get voicemail messages. And I had a cute “phone book” with everyone’s con- tact info. Before cell phones I had maps! So many conveniences with cell phones now, but worry they are becoming another appendage. Karen Granger, Community Relations Director, 4KIDS Palm Beach I think life was much simpler and more relational. To connect with someone you needed to have a conversation. Embracing and using technology and innovation for good is important, but it’s also important to be aware of some of the bad habits it could create. Kevin Enders, 4KIDS President My life before cell phones I remember was not as complex. We were not tied to our phones and social media. Even though we talk now, it was more of a conversation, and we listened more than we spoke. It was not just a text. There was a connection. Unfortunately, today we are not connecting as we once did. Today we are connected to the world, but not one another. Dr. Mary Drabik, President, South Florida Bible College Life before cellphones was more inconvenient but less stressful. You could actually enjoy a movie or coffee with friends or a fun day at the beach without a steady barrage of text messages, Facebook updates on Doris and Marty enjoying a Slurpee at the 7 - 11, and an unspoken expectation from the world that you are available 24/7 to watch their cat videos. The words “Where have you been?” were limited to teenagers coming in late for curfew; now we get confronted with that question be- cause, heaven forbid, we decided to turn the phone off for 30 minutes while we were on the treadmill at the gym. And no one ever missed a “turn only” signal at the light because the driver in the car in front of them was too focused on his phone to realize the light changed. The cell phone has turned into a never-ending distraction attaching us to a world of frenetic yet empty activities that we ignore at the peril of our relation- ships with friends, bosses, clients and family. In the end, it should be asked: were pay phones the key to a better quality of life? Oksana Horton , Artistic Director, Revelation Ministries Before cell phones my life was less stressful because most people did not expect you to call them back immediately. People realized that you would have to return home or to the office to listen to their message on the an- swering machine before returning their call. O’Neal Dozier , Pastor, Worldwide Christian Center I know most people would say that life was simpler without a cell phone; for me, that is not necessarily true. I used to carry around a black book to keep track of appointments, phone numbers and addresses; the cell phone has replaced that. Post-hurricane Andrew, trying to find my way around Miami without GPS or street signs was a nightmare. It would have been great to have a cell phone to guide my way. Patricia Colangelo, EdS, Director of Operations Florida, Trinity International University Before cell phones there were definitely four things distinctly different in my daily routine: 1) I was more apt to read my Bible than listen to a podcast, 2) I did all my phone calls from my home phone/land-line, 3) I did all my emails on my desktop at home, 4) I took all my photos on my 35mm cam- era and had the film developed at Walgreens.... Oddly enough, life seemed a little less “busy” back then. Coach Rick Andreassen, Founder/President, SAINTS of Florida P.E. and SAINTS International Sports Ministry While I love the connectivity, information and usefulness of cell phones today, I missed the impact of not having small computers we can carry around in our pockets. When I didn’t have a cell phone, I was forced to be present in the moment and with the people around me. These moments created deeper and more meaningful bonds, even if the number of people were less. Robin Martin , Executive Director, Rebuilding Together Broward Cell phones! Love/Hate relationship might sum it up best. Not sure I can recall life without them, but I do recall my wife wanting one for her birthday before I had one. Guess what, she got one first. It wasn’t the “brick phone” but it was a lot bigger than what we can’t live without now. Now that we have them, even though they keep us plugged in 24/7, I am not sure I would want to do life without one! Romney C. Rogers, Managing Partner, Rogers Morris & Ziegler Llp My life was a little less stressful. I didn't feel the need to check in every five minutes, and I could spend hour after hour in the study carrel at TEDS li- Wants to Know… Kevin Enders Dr. Mary Drabik Oksana Horton O’Neal Dozier Patricia Colangelo Coach Rick Andreassen Charles Bender H. Collins Forman , Jr. Deborah Cusickek Gita Santangelo JoAnne Larson Daudt Karen Granger