Technology Trauma

Dave recently purchased a new laptop for me to which he very kindly transferred everything from my old computer.  Now instead of walking away while it boots up, the new one is up and running before I can blink.  It’s sleek and fast with an even bigger screen.  I will probably use 10% of what it’s capable of doing.  In the process of re-adjusting to the new, updated version there have been the usual kinks: email didn’t work consistently and it wouldn’t print 2-sided copies.  Because my husband is patient and determined, it now does both.

The first time I ever used a computer, I sat down to write at the dining room table.  It took all afternoon, but when I went to retrieve it, it was nowhere to be found (yes, I saved it).  Enter Mr. Patience who spent three hours trying to find it to no avail.  The next day I was back in the same seat to repeat the process, but not before considering making a Frisbee out of it and tossing it into the pool.

I am not exactly tech-no savvy; in fact, I could best be described as tech-NO savvy.  I watch a TV using a remote where I can punch “Guide”, then click on my choice.  I am at a loss with Apple TV and all the other options.  My daughter-in-law once put pre-paid movie tickets on my phone so that they could be scanned as we entered the theater.  My phone screen was too dark for the scan to work so the young man informed me I needed to brighten my screen.  I stood frozen as my mind ran through how this might be done.  Meanwhile, my then 10-year old granddaughter came to the rescue.  Without batting an eye, she swiped something twice which did the trick and left me wondering what had just happened (or, how I might repeat the process).

This has caused me to wonder:  how did we ever get along without all of these “modern conveniences”?  How could we possibly ride a bike without a helmet?  Ride in a car, standing up on the seat next to our moms (who provided the seatbelt in the shape of her arm when necessary)?  How could we even put up with having to run inside to answer a ringing phone that was attached to the wall?  What if someone called and we weren’t home?  Oh, the inconvenience of it all!!!  Did we really have to get up to change the channel on the television?  Was it truly black and white with only three channels to choose from (that went off at night)?   Is it true we only had Keds to wear and not innumerable brands of tennis shoes?  Did some houses have wringer washing machines and no dryer?  Clothes had to be hung outside on a line of rope?  How did we survive all of this work and struggle?

Miraculously, we managed.  Of course, we didn’t know anything else.  We have all these conveniences now, but they have made life even more hectic in some ways.  So many things vying for our attention.  Heaven forbid we should miss a text from someone who has a question that simply cannot wait (as phone calls used to back in the day).

I can’t say I miss answering a phone that’s hooked up to a wall or getting up to change the channel on the TV.  But, it would be nice to go back to a time when you sat down with someone and, rather than a view of the top of their head as they stared at their phone, you actually had an uninterrupted face to face conversation.

“…there is a time for every purpose under heaven…”  (Ecclesiastes 3:1)