6 of 7

Technically this would be my last day, if I hadn't messed up on Saturday. But does it even matter? I mean, humans have come so attached to technology that we don't even really see the real world anymore. Just the symbols that we see on the internet, television and in movies. The words we hear are no longer from loved ones, but from the 100 top pop hits, radio DJ's and the computerized female voice associated with most automatic systems if we decide to pick up a phone to call someone rather than text someone or email.
What happened to when you can throw down a $20 bill and pay for a round of drinks and not worry if you left enough money for a tip? Now we have the open tabs that are closed out with a credit card-quickly calculating who had what...and don't forget tax and tip. Most people don't even carry cash anymore, leaving the bartender or server with the job of either splitting the check for you, or kindly stating they do not have the capability to split the tab. Which is utter bull shit because with all the technology now a days, they are just being lazy bastards. But it's not their fault you and your drunk friends decided to sit at the bar to have a good time and not mention the fact that no one has cash-because who carries cash anymore, anyway? So at the end of the night when everyone is even more drunk, it's left with either one person fitting the bill, or leaving one of the group behind as collateral to find an ATM that actually still contains cash in the machine; God forbid you have to pay the $2.50 surcharge if the ATM happens to not be your bank.
I am not old, but it wasn't that long ago when people went out, they made sure they had enough cash on them to support their bad habits for the evening. In crowded bars and in restaurants where the server is under paid, you can't afford to not carry a few bills over the currency of $5 to make sure you don't snub one of your friends. With brains swimming in beer and fruity shots, no one is going to remember what they owed the next morning, let alone the next time you go out. And really, who is keeping tabs. Because if you really cared that much, you wouldn't have fit the bill to begin with.
Friends aren't people that you will sit there with a sour look on your face and say, "Well, that's your problem then, isn't it?" They aren't going to bring up "Well, last time I paid for the entire night out." They will smile and look away, hoping you don't see the disappointment in their eyes, yet will know that there will not be a next time, because you will ask for separate checks, even if it means leaving a bigger tip for inconveniencing the server.