Normal Adolescents At Chipotle

I ate a late lunch at Chipotle at the 3:00pm hour on Fri Dec 8, 2023 because of shopping. A nearby middle school ended the school day. Students walked home. A few of the students congregated at a small retail strip mall. The fast food restaurant was 90% occupied with students. A few seats were unoccupied. The restaurant workers were prepared. The front end was fully staffed. The cooks were preparing the food. It was loud inside.

Witnessing the middle school students was no different when I attended middle school. Students socialized. There were no parents; although, I saw a couple of parents picking up students in the parking lot. Cell phones were prevalent; however, nobody was individually silent self-occupied with their own phone. They used their phones for conversation topics. They used their phones to pay for their orders. They used their phones calling their parents. The students acted and behaved like normal adolescents. Their parents taught them well. Their parents trusted them and their circle of friends. I didn't have cell phones in school. Socializing and friendships are the same today and the same yesterday regardless of the trends or technology.