Sense and Cell Phone Use

I just witnessed, aghast, as a woman's dog ripped a mother duck in half.

I had just climbed a small hill to sit at my favorite reading spot near a duck pond, replete with waterfall and ancient cedars, when I hear this cacophony of sound coupled by a flurry of motion in my periphery.  I see the baby duck with new feathers gradually replacing his down since the last time I saw him, frantically struggling to gain lift as his mother adeptly maneuvered the brush and began to achieve flight, striving in the opposite direction of her offspring.  Alas, it was too late.  The blackened beast untamed and un-fucking-leashed, unaware of the stakes or my horror, paused only momentarily as I bellowed in my best 'I mean goddamn business' voice, then pounced.  He clipped the momma mallard and knocked her off her frantic and desperate course.  She struggled to get airborne once more but to no avail.  I screamed once more with all of my might, seemingly the only witness to this massacre as the homeless mutt chomped down on her helpless yet still struggling body.  He wrenched the bird in his jaws a couple times and shook with the vigor of a pioneer championing his kill.  That was that.  The dog ran off as quickly as he came.  The anger began to replace my shock and dismay when I realized, this dog had an owner.  He was not a homeless waif, roaming various duck ponds on a murderous nightly spree.  He was loved and cared for by a fucking ridiculous woman standing 30 yards away...on her motherfucking cell phone.  She was calmly chatting, not paying a lick of attention to her untrained animal who had just killed a bird for sport and left its child to roam the pond, weeping for its loss and now forced to fend for itself.

I stood in brief shock.  How had this happened?  How had this woman just stood idly by while her mutt committed such acts and done nothing?  Less than nothing!  She witnessed the event and remained on her cell phone!  Clearly that was more important than protecting the wildlife or her pet who was being mercilessly screamed at with such vitriol my throat became hoarse.  When seeing that I was also witness to this ridiculous and unnecessary atrocity, strode quickly in the opposite direction.  Very quickly.  Dog, happy as a clam, in tow.  I chased that stupid bitch down.  She played dumb, remained on her cell phone, leashed her dog and practically ran away from me.  I tried to maintain myself as I confronted her...it was not easy.  Through the entirety of the experience, I was more shocked by her nonchalance than the event I had just witnessed.  Is this what our cell phone culture is creating?  Apathy for even death?  There was no responsibility taken.  There was no apology.  There was no concern.  What if that had been a human being?  We have become so obsessed with being seen as "busy" or "important" that we are distracted when major things in our lives occur.  We are obsessed with being "connected" that we forget about the moment.  Every moment is a moment to connect and I wanted nothing more than to connect my fist with her stupid face and watch her cell phone smash to smithereens.  I don't want to be violent.  I want the world to be more accountable.  I want technology to be used as a tool and not abused as a means to avoid or cause conflict.  I want people to understand that real life happens when you're glued to the shit that is suppose to free you so that you can spend it living, enjoying and embracing.  I don't blame the dog.  He was merely living in the moment.  If people had any sense, they'd do the same...hopefully with less bloodshed.