By Maureen Pratt | Catholic News Service

By now, those of us who drive probably have had more than one encounter with a pedestrian whose eyes were glued to a cell phone screen instead of oncoming traffic. I've seen the gamut of inappropriate places and situations in which people use their phones, but one place I would not expect to witness a video chat is the ladies' room.

Yet, that's exactly what I witnessed (or, rather, tried not to) recently.

On my way to a fundraiser, I feared an impending "wardrobe malfunction," so I headed for the ladies' room at a hotel. Directly in front of me was a young woman in a short black dress, perfume wafting behind her. She had a cellphone in her hand, and I didn't think much of it until we both arrived in the echoing lounge area and I heard and saw her conversation.

There, live from the restroom lounge, she was flirting with a man via video chat.               Much has been written about the lack of face-to-face communication that has resulted from recent technology. But more alarming to me is that, as our focus becomes increasingly encapsulated in smaller and smaller screens, it also seems that we are losing our sense of the present.              

Where we are physically is increasingly forgotten, as eyes are glued to phone screens that limit our world. We run the risk of missing the unexpected things that make our world so enjoyable and fascinating.      

We lose sight of the present and the memories we might make. And boundaries that include safety, appropriate behavior and common courtesy become eroded, to everyone's discomfort (and potential injury).

Fortunately, as often as I have heard or witnessed cellphone intrusion into the sacred, private or public, I see efforts to reset boundaries.            When I cantor at Mass, I invite everyone to put their cellphones on silent mode. Lately, I find myself applauding each time I hear of a host, restaurant or other public person or venue confiscating cellphones at the door, sparing diners and other guests and customers the interruption.  We can raise our eyes to the world and take in the present in all its form, color, nuance and detail.

We might find marvels we've been overlooking. We might discover things about ourselves, too, things only learned when we pay attention to God's world. We might also be more able to extend courtesy, compassion and care to those around us.

And we just might avoid a collision with a vehicle, shopping cart or pedestrian, and keep what is private as it should be.