Pandora’s Box

The apps on my iPad are in large part ‘Kids Entertainment.’  Or, also known as, ‘Coparenting with Technology.’

Perhaps you can relate.  Or perhaps your children don’t watch TV or need any incentive to obey.  If that’s true of you, then, you might not want to hang out with me.  But whatever.  Keep reading.

I do have a few apps that are genuinely for me, one of which is Notability.  I take notes in class, at church, on the go, all over. Me and my stylus: good friends.

I was in church.  Everyone was quietly listening, as is the nature of ‘being in church.’  I opened my iPad to start a new page of sermon notes, this one on the lessons we can learn from the Magi.

Suddenly,

CRASH!!

The sound of breaking glass.

It is a sound effect for whatever game whichever son was playing most recently. Frustrated Birds.  Or Irate Birds.  Or some knock-off from Angry Birds, which I told them wouldn’t be as good, but it was a free app, and so, sure.

I slammed the iPad closed, like the lid on Pandora’s box.

I pressed every button I could find without opening the cover.  I turned down the volume; I pressed the power button.  Please, little game.  Whatever you are.  Be gone.

I opened a just a titch…. CRASH!!!!!

Oh, my great day.  The people around me were gracious, the first time.  Now I was becoming something of a nuiscance.

I waited for Pastor Phil to tell a joke, and I’ve never been more thankful for his picture of a nativity set made of sausage and bacon.  So funny.  Thank you for laughter.

I opened the iPad and scrambled to shut down that blasted game before the laughter subsided.

(And I had thought a dropped communion cup was careless and distracting.)