Shallow lives

We all  have the same amount of time - 24 hours in a day - but do not always spend it wisely. I know I haven't - life sometimes gets in the way - but, come to think of it, what IS important in life?
One needs to sleep and take care of oneself and ones immediate family but these days so many people appear to spend their time with a mobile phone glued to their ear and, pparently (because they speak so loudly you overhear their conversations) chatting about inconsequential things. This is almost an obsession these days. Now, if you switch the phone off you could get on with all those things you say you haven't time for.
What about giving a little time to the people who matter to you because they love you but are no longer part of your everyday life? We so often tend to forget friends and family. You contact them briefly at Christmas and then forget them until next time round - duty done - and you couldn't even be bothered to include a little personal note. So much for caring!
These people are still there - perhaps they email you or write regularly with their news but you haven't the time (or - let's face it - couldn't be bothered) to send a reply because you would rather be 'chatting about inconsequential things' or twittering people you don't know and will never meet. That's much more important and there is plenty of time in your day for that, of course. Is your life so empty that you Twitter the famous just to feel part of their lives?  Get real. You're not - and it doesn't matter to them whether you live or die. However to others your life does matter and these are probably the very people you haven't time to keep in contact with!
I wish I knew how to get closer to those who really mean something to me but who apparently 'haven't the time'. Even though distance divides us, I still want to know they feel we are close enough to be  included in their lives.
When I think of the people in my past whose lives have ended, I wonder whether I was as off-hand with them as others are with me today, and especially those who loved and cared for me and were there when help it was needed.
One last thing - if you can't be bothered to give someone ten or fifteen minutes of your time when they are alive then please don't bother going to their funeral - after all that would be hypocritical wouldn't it? And - perhaps much more important - you'd be wasting valuable inconsequential chatter time. Oh, I forgot - sadly you didn't have the time to attend their funeral. Silly me.