(photo by Ed Yourdon)

Your sister agrees to take over a caregiving shift at your parents’ home upon request. Now you have a Friday evening free which hasn’t happened in a few months, so you decide to meet up with a good friend who hasn’t seen you in over a year due to very busy personal and professional schedules.

You tell your friend to meet you at a favorite restaurant in Manhattan — a French bistro with outdoor garden seating to breathe in some air and feel the cool summer evening breeze. You order a glass of water with lemon, your friend arrives with hugs and you’re happy to see each other. A perfect evening!

Soon, the pleasant waiter stops by the table to place your dinner order and you are startled by the sudden sound of ferocious barking dogs. The waiter excuses himself, “My apologies, ladies. That’s my new ring tone! (He giggles.) My girlfriend gets a kick out of it.” He shuffles to turn it off but can’t quite seem to find the phone fast enough before the barking dogs continue for about three more rings. He announces he’ll return once he’s figured out how to silence it.

You turn to your good friend with a beaming smile and laugh in the moment. You can’t wait to catch up! It’s been so long but she’s already typing on her Droid phone. She says her husband just texted her about the kids. He’s watching them for the night but she’s blushing because he’s being sweet and flirting with her. It’s cute…at first. They’ve been married for over twenty years but their text conversation goes on for another ten minutes in between her questions to you about your ill parents. She’s clearly not listening. You think maybe once the appetizer arrives she’ll stop texting.

A distinguished looking businessman is seated at the table next to you. The garden is beautiful but cozy, so it’s almost as if he’s a third party at your table. He takes out his Palm Pilot and punches in some numbers on the pad and begins yelling at someone. It sounds like someone didn’t do his or her job at the office. You try not to give him a dirty look, maybe he has an important task and our lives depend on it. He then shouts at the person for eating the rest of his turkey sandwich at lunch which clearly had his name on it. You can’t help but frown.

The Apricot Chambord Brie has arrived and a woman sitting behind you asks if she can take a picture of your plate with her iPhone. You’re flattered at first for choosing such a photo-worthy appetizer until she proceeds to take ten more photos at every angle for her new blog about French food. The Brie is hardening. She boasts that she will post the photos immediately, then starts taking pictures of you too! You can’t imagine the pics will be very nice with your look of frustration.

You’ve had enough!

You stand up and proclaim to everyone in the restaurant, “TURN YOUR CELL PHONES OFF! Please! I would love a beautiful dinner with my friend in peace.”

Every one powers down his or her cell phones and smart phones, including your good friend, and the French bistro is quiet for once. You thank everyone and smile. They smile back and all have a lovely evening.

The preceding story is a dramatization, of course, but you get the point. July is National Cell Phone Courtesy Month. Cell phones may be in our lives to stay, but we don’t have to take them to dinner with us.

Have a beautiful summer night!