Back on Track?

The first of what will probably be several (I hope not too many) postings on Things I Notice Upon My Return:
I'm back on the Orange Line. In a way, it's like I've never left. In another, it's like I've never been on it before. I see more texting, more phoning, more fiddling with buttons. The Swedes were the most plugged-in Europeans I saw; the Viennese scarcely seemed plugged-in at all. But we Americans are earnest about our technology. We stare and scowl at tiny screens. We tap away vigorously. Our thumbs glide across touch-pads. We seldom look at the world around us.