At my son’s school orientation the other night, parents and children talked during the Vice Principal’s presentation, and started leaving well before he was done, which I found disrespectful. Why is it so hard for us to sit still for any length of time? Perhaps we can’t even endure one dry school speech because we’re so used to flipping the station with the remote or clicking the mouse when something bores us. We’ve learned not to hear each other, even in conversations. In New Jersey, where I live, the state is so populous that no matter where you go or what you’re doing, you end up waiting in line, jockeying for position, trying not to be overlooked. Maybe that’s why Jerseyans have gotten the reputation of being loud, sometimes a bit in-your-face. Read next feature >