Wednesday, July 29, 2009

It's All About Perspective

I am old. I say that a lot, but sometimes, with the speed at which things change these days, I sure feel old.

When I was a kid, we only had Black & White TV, with a knob on it to change the station or the volume. Cable had not yet been invented. We had a manual typewriter. We wrote letters. We called each other on the phone. We played outside, a lot. We went to friends' houses to play or just hang out after school. We had dinner with the whole family, every night. We called our friends' parents Mr. or Mrs.

We rode our bikes somewhere if our parents could not take us. The Mall was new, and it was a special treat to go there. We walked to school. We stayed in school. School started at 8:30 am and we did not get out until 3:00 pm. 30 minutes for lunch. No after-school care needed.

When I was in High School, my boyfriend had a job and a car. For a date, we could go to Arby's OR a movie, but not both, because he also needed to pay for gas for us to get there. And this was okay.

A computer was a conglomeration of tubes in a big room at IBM. Actually, I think they had to build the building around the beast.

No, I did not walk to school barefoot, in the snow, uphill, both ways, but my parents did. They used to tell us they did not travel across country in a covered wagon.

My kids are college-age now, and they grew up with computers. I knew this, but when my youngest was 6 and he pulled out his Dad's cast-off Palm Pilot-type device to get a phone number, I knew I was out of my element. One year I got him a video (VHS, remember those?) of the top 15 Super Bowl moments. When he thanked me for it, he asked why some of them were filmed in Black & White. ... ... Um, because they were? It's all about perspective.

I have a cell phone, and have had one for many years. I use it mostly for emergencies, and it is more likely to be out of juice than usable. I almost never use it. There is no one I need to talk to so badly that it cannot wait until I get home. Or I can email them and they can get back to me whenever. I cannot understand who all these people on cell phones all day long are talking to.

So apparently in the last two weeks I have entered the 21st century, or so I have been told by the 20-somethings with whom I slave all day. I tweet. I have a Facebook page, though all I post to it are links to my etsy postings. My Google Reader is exploding with all the new blogs I now read because of the tweeple I have met. I am learning new things, and seeing other peoples' art. My Blackberry is in-transit... currently being held hostage by the FedEx guys. Sigh. It is all moving so fast!

What happened to my little world? I was so happy in my little cocoon of no television, no technology (relatively speaking), no noise! I liked being unplugged!

I read this post today, and it got me thinking about all things relative. I remember we were all sent home from school the day President Kennedy was shot, and I have always wondered why, after 40 years, we still remember that day, and not his birthday. I was at summer camp when Neil Armstrong walked on the moon for the first time. (I also served Mr. Armstrong dinner when I was a waitress back in my college days, but that's another story for another time.)

So once I get my hands on my new toy, I'll read the manual (yes, Lydia, I will), figure out how to turn on the dang thing, make sure I can get the phone part working, then hopefully get to the Interwebz before I go to the Market on Saturday. I'll report back on if I survive all this technology, or if I need to be pulled back into the dark ages.

I think I need to go stamp something. Thanks for stopping by!

7 comments:

  1. Though I grew up with cable, I still remember when the only computers in school were in the library and once a week we took a course on how to use them. The big highlight was getting to play Oregan Trail.

    Good Luck with the new phone!

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  2. The glory of technology. I love my crackberry and have mastered the scheduling with the help of airset.com. I pay $4 extra/month but I love having a 1 stop calendar that I can publish for my colleagues (because if they don't see me they assume I am not working for them). Use the phone and you'll grow to love the capabilities!

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  3. Am I blind - where's your Facebook link?? There are 71 Leslie Hannas on Facebook!

    Are we the same age? I have the exact same memories. I always assume everyone is younger than me. :-)

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  4. i've been through the same transitions, TV with knobs, IBM cards, do you remember "number please?" and now on to Twitter & Blogger. No cell phone yet, and I am still mystified by Facebook - I have an account but don't know how to work it. going to classes at Lydia University. each day brings its own bit of knowledge. Thanks for the memories

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  5. Ok, in even the less than 30 years I have been alive, technology has changed by leaps and bounds. Sometimes talking with my brother in law who is only 21 is wild- the difference between what we each grew up with is astounding.

    I hope you enjoy your crackberry though- technology is great, especially when you can pick and choose what you will let into your life. Because we all know that once you pick something up, there is a strong likelihood it will become an omg-don't-separate-me-from-my-phone-or-I-will-die type of necessity. You'll get all twitchy if you accidentally leave it at home one day. :P

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  6. I owned a Blackberry torm twice this month. First time for one day. I took it bck because I thought .... hey I'll never need all the functions and apps. Then I went out and got one again.....only because it was offered as a FREE upgrade....How could you pass up FREE??? So I owned it for three days this time. Took it back again.....I really will not use all those funtions and apps. I Don't Tweet and I don't Face. Heck I don't read your blog much anymore (sorry). Come to think of it I haven't called you recently either.
    I do think about you often.
    We took four TVs, one microwave, one convection oven, two DVD players and an espresso machine to recycle this week. ( All fried when we were struck by lightning )
    Electronics who needs them?
    Sorry for the long comment. But while you are going at warp speed to the 21st century, I am traveling back in time to the 19th.
    Gotta go get my mail and it IS uphill both ways.

    #2

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  7. I bow to you, Queen of Technology. My feet are still firmly planted in the dark ages :)

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I'd love to hear what you really think! :-)

PS: I've had to disable Anonymous comments, because the spammers were killing me. If you are unable to comment, please email me your comment and I'll get it posted for you. Sorry. (stoopid spammers)