Time To Know One Another

After nearly half a century as an optician, Charles Dowling of Edward C. Dowling & Sons was not happy when he was asked for an interview about his retiring tomorrow.

He said that no one wanted to speak with him until he announced that he was going to retire.

"No one cares (about me) until I retired," Dowling said, who has been at the 1243 West Chester Pike location in Havertown since April 1, 1977, but his father, Edward C. Dowling, started the business in 1929.

"People are so stressed out today that no one cares anymore (about the people in their community)," the 68-year-old said, explaining that over the years he has noticed that some people were becoming less and less empathic.

In between packing up his business on Monday, Dowling, who has been an optician for 45 years, said that people used to care about each other and took the time to chat or help one another out. 

And while some faithful customers over the years have recently stopped by to wish him well on his retirement, Dowling admitted, he also admitted that things simply aren't what they used to be.

And maybe Dowling has a point. In our stressed-filled society maybe we're too busy to take the time to notice each other. Or better yet, take the time to know one another.

Today's high-tech society uses some wonderful social media tools to text with friends from across the country or even around the world, but how come it seems a little too hard to walk down the street to your local barber, grocer, and yes, even optician, and have a simply chat?

We should certainly keep the new digital ways of reaching out to each other, but let's not forget that sometimes the old-fashion way of doing things shouldn't go out of style.

And let's also remember that we shouldn't reach out to our neighbors only when they are about to retire.