Yesterday

Late morning:  I go to the bus stop to get the bus to the Convention Center.  After waiting a few minutes, a man arrives. He introduces himself, offers to shake hands, and we chat a bit until the bus arrives.  Once on board, he sits across from me and continues to make occasional conversation.  At one point he mentions football, and a discussion of Beavers and Ducks ensues, with other passengers joining in.  After he leaves the bus, a woman who was in on the football discussion continues talking with me, this time about Jewish holidays.

Early evening:  I go to the bus stop to get the bus to go home. There are not many passengers at first, but more board at every stop.  Somewhere along the line, I realize that four of the five people in my immediate vicinity are on smart phones or tablets or some kind of electronic device.  One man has a white cord snaking up to his earphone.  As more people board, and I look around the bus, I notice that the screens of some electronic devices illuminate their users' faces with an unearthly glow. I suppose I could strike up a conversation with someone, but they all seem to be engrossed in what they are doing.