Friday, June 16, 2006

The Mosquito

The Mosquito is now officially the state bird of FL. We all have been driven out of the yard and into the house because of these annoying pests. Now a security company in the UK has harnessed the mosquito's sound to drive away another perceived pest. Here is a quote from Compound Security Systems website.

"The Mosquito ultrasonic teenage deterrent is the solution to the eternal problem of unwanted gatherings of youths and teenagers in shopping malls and around shops. The presence of these teenagers discourages genuine shoppers and customers from coming into your shop, affecting your turnover and profits. Anti social behaviour has become the biggest threat to private property over the last decade and there has been no effective deterrent until now. "

Now the cool thing for teens to do is to make this same sound the ringtone for their cell phones. Because the frequency is too high for most adults over 40 to hear they can send and receive text messages in class without the teacher knowing. Hence, the same thing that adults used to push teens away is being used to keep adults out of their lives.

As father's day approaches, I wonder what annoying thing I do that keep me from connecting with my kids. It is those same things that will one day keep me out of their lives. Am I grumpy, or maybe aloof, would I rather work on the computer than play with my kids. Would I rather watch sports on TV than a movie with my family. Should I take more time off during the summer or a lesser paying job so that I can be an active part of my kids' development years.

I happen to know that God loves teenagers of all ages and that the church should do what it can to attract young people and remove anything that is a barrier between them and an authentic personal relationship with Jesus Christ. So kids, if you are still listening, you are welcome here. We know that you are a genuine shopper too. That your anti-social behavior is maybe just a response to a culture that sees you as a pest rather than a person.

On a personal note, my whole family can still hear the mosquito. It does not bother Abby (8 years) but it did drive my wife Amy out of my office. On second thought, this may be useful after all :) You can check your hearing here.