It’s been nearly 20 months since I’ve had a home computer and due to job circumstances, I’ve been without daily access for nearly five months. As some of you may know, I did have access while spending some time with my father, but in general, I’ve been as technologically in touch as I was in the late 70’s. I have hundreds of CD’s which I don’t play. I have the same 19” television I’ve had since I received it as a Birthday gift on my 19th birthday. I have no DVD player, but use my gaming device to access them. I have a PS2 which is considered prehistoric. I do have an Android phone, but that’s about it. So today I embark on my life with a laptop.
So how has my introduction into the next millennium gone? Well, I have no internet access. Sure, I’m well aware I could pay for it, but the last ten years have been bumping into laptop geeks in parks, restaurants and other public places, signing on by latching on to Wi-Fi in the area. So why can’t I? My computer says I can, but I can’t. So this leads me to wonder. What was worse, having no computer to sign on with, or having one and not being able to sign on. After nearly an hour, I’m going with the latter.
Life is funny sometimes. Things that have been invented to make life easier and more enjoyable have undoubtedly made it more stressful and take time out of our lives that normally would have been spent doing things much more pleasurable or productive. If you are my age, you remember having to change a typewriter ribbon or the use of White Out. Mistakes were righted by a dab and waiting for it to dry. A Miriam Webster and a pencil eraser were our spell checks. Remember when Eraser-Mate came out with the erasable pen? To us, that was the height of amazing. Records then gave way to CD’s, VHS to DVD’s and word processors gave way to the home computer. The internet was invented and life changes as we know it. Thank You Al Gore!
Life is lived by so many via the web. It’s a way to stay connected to those you aren’t close to, but also has become our lifeline to the world. In the months that my access was limited I found myself watching more news on TV and reading more newspapers. The slant given from these forms of reporting are almost impossible to miss. With the internet, you have access to so many angles you truly can form your own opinions. Sadly many, including friends of mine, take the easy way out and let others opinions be their “news’ source. This is something that I will enjoy getting back in touch with.
For all the benefits of the technology, there are definitely disadvantages. Our incredible necessity for a top notch cell phone allows us a connection to all that is out there, but it also becomes a burden, because when people know you always have your phone on you, they can’t understand why you don’t answer when they call. I have some rules, but I think I’ll save that for another blog. The biggest headache though is that with all the advances, it isn’t perfect. We still have to pay through the nose for phone and internet service and to give us these luxuries; our roadways and skies are constantly being dug up or covered with wires. For all the pluses, it’s the minuses that seem to consume us. Lost calls or internet service has become a stress that rivals almost none other. We live in a world where instant gratification is all that matters. I remember as a child, a vacation took weeks, maybe even months to plan. These days it’s a click here or there and within what could be as little as two minutes, you can book a flight, a hotel and rent a car. It’s become that simple. Oddly enough, nobody ever expects problems with something that didn’t consist of any human interaction. Even funnier is the fact that when there is human interaction, problems arise, usually because the person on the other line is not adept in entering your information into the computer. So technology not only helps us, but inevitably, if you use it enough, will drive you to the brink of madness.
So what’s the answer? I’m thrilled to have a computer. As I type this, I’m using a word document. I’m not online and this will consist of a copy and paste. Remember when you couldn’t do this? Remember when editing was a long process? Remember when you had to write drafts? In time I’ll have internet access and I’ll reconnect with everyone full time. I’ll smile. This is what makes me smile. The smile dissipates when I remember when the doorbell ringing used to make me smile. Many years ago.
So how has my introduction into the next millennium gone? Well, I have no internet access. Sure, I’m well aware I could pay for it, but the last ten years have been bumping into laptop geeks in parks, restaurants and other public places, signing on by latching on to Wi-Fi in the area. So why can’t I? My computer says I can, but I can’t. So this leads me to wonder. What was worse, having no computer to sign on with, or having one and not being able to sign on. After nearly an hour, I’m going with the latter.
Life is funny sometimes. Things that have been invented to make life easier and more enjoyable have undoubtedly made it more stressful and take time out of our lives that normally would have been spent doing things much more pleasurable or productive. If you are my age, you remember having to change a typewriter ribbon or the use of White Out. Mistakes were righted by a dab and waiting for it to dry. A Miriam Webster and a pencil eraser were our spell checks. Remember when Eraser-Mate came out with the erasable pen? To us, that was the height of amazing. Records then gave way to CD’s, VHS to DVD’s and word processors gave way to the home computer. The internet was invented and life changes as we know it. Thank You Al Gore!
Life is lived by so many via the web. It’s a way to stay connected to those you aren’t close to, but also has become our lifeline to the world. In the months that my access was limited I found myself watching more news on TV and reading more newspapers. The slant given from these forms of reporting are almost impossible to miss. With the internet, you have access to so many angles you truly can form your own opinions. Sadly many, including friends of mine, take the easy way out and let others opinions be their “news’ source. This is something that I will enjoy getting back in touch with.
For all the benefits of the technology, there are definitely disadvantages. Our incredible necessity for a top notch cell phone allows us a connection to all that is out there, but it also becomes a burden, because when people know you always have your phone on you, they can’t understand why you don’t answer when they call. I have some rules, but I think I’ll save that for another blog. The biggest headache though is that with all the advances, it isn’t perfect. We still have to pay through the nose for phone and internet service and to give us these luxuries; our roadways and skies are constantly being dug up or covered with wires. For all the pluses, it’s the minuses that seem to consume us. Lost calls or internet service has become a stress that rivals almost none other. We live in a world where instant gratification is all that matters. I remember as a child, a vacation took weeks, maybe even months to plan. These days it’s a click here or there and within what could be as little as two minutes, you can book a flight, a hotel and rent a car. It’s become that simple. Oddly enough, nobody ever expects problems with something that didn’t consist of any human interaction. Even funnier is the fact that when there is human interaction, problems arise, usually because the person on the other line is not adept in entering your information into the computer. So technology not only helps us, but inevitably, if you use it enough, will drive you to the brink of madness.
So what’s the answer? I’m thrilled to have a computer. As I type this, I’m using a word document. I’m not online and this will consist of a copy and paste. Remember when you couldn’t do this? Remember when editing was a long process? Remember when you had to write drafts? In time I’ll have internet access and I’ll reconnect with everyone full time. I’ll smile. This is what makes me smile. The smile dissipates when I remember when the doorbell ringing used to make me smile. Many years ago.
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