Restaurants in the age of cell phones

Last night Chaim and I went out for dinner as part of an interesting local fund raiser. All you had to do was go out and eat, and the restaurant was supposed to give ten percent of its profits for the night to charity. It was a great plan. Easy to participate. And for a good cause.

So, off we went to do the easiest good deed possible.

We chose a sushi restaurant that we like. It's a busy lunch spot but pretty quiet at night, which is just the way we like it.

We had no sooner arrived in the restaurant and sat down at our table when my cell phone rang. I immediately noticed that the phone number displayed on the screen was our home number, so I answered it. All I heard was hysterical crying and here is the essence of the first conversation:

Home: AGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

Me: Yael, what is wrong?

Home: AGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

Me: Yael, will you please calm down and tell me what's going on and why you are crying.

Home: AGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

Me: (I hung up)

Okay, so compassion isn't my strong suit. I think that parents should be able to go out to a restaurant without fear of mass destruction at home. I don't think that's a lot to ... ring, ring...

Second phone call:

Yael: Ari called me fat.

Chaim: Well, if he called you a monkey would that bother you?

Yael: No, but he called me fat.

Chaim: Well, you're not fat. Good-bye.

At that point, we started to order, naively figuring that we now had the fat issue out of the way and it was safe to enjoy the evening. ring.... ring...

Zeve: You know the cell phone recharging in your office?

Me: Yes.

Zeve: Can I have it?

Me: No.

Zeve: Why not? I need a new cell phone and you told me I could use this one today.

Me: I told you you could use it today and I don't want to discuss this now.

Zeve: Why not?

Me: Bye Zeve.

By this point, I could barely remember what I was going to order or why I was going to order it. So I tried to collect my thoughts, focus on the menu and initiate a conversation with Chaim. ring... ring...

Me: Whoever you are, you better have a limb hanging by a thread because otherwise I am hanging up.

Yael: You told me I could have that phone.

Me: No, I told you that you could use that phone when you needed it.

Yael: But Zeve says it's his.

Me: It's not.

Yael: Fine.

Me: Good-bye.

That was the last call we received during our hour and a quarter in the restaurant. The food was probably good. I know I ate it. But who can relax and have a good time when they have their cell phone with them? Other than doing a good deed, I am not really sure why I bothered to leave home. Next time the good deed people want something from me they better have a plan for my cell phone.