Live Without It? Not Me

I had a great topic in mind this morning, but it has escaped me by the time I got to the computer. That’s part of the reason why I want an iPhone, so I can blog on the fly. A Crackberry would also be better than the current system.

It’s funny how used to technology we become. Take the cell phone, for instance. Six years ago, I didn’t even own one. It wasn’t a necessity to me. Then, on the way home from work (a 40 mile one way drive), I got a flat tire. On a two lane highway, three miles out of the little one horse town of Lucketts, Virginia. I was about a half mile from the local motel and thought, “Hey, no problem, I’ll ask at the front desk if I can use the phone.” Small problem: no front desk and just a pay phone. I called Ed collect and waited the hour plus for him to come and change it (having to pee something awful the whole time.)

A week later, I had a Trac Phone, which was ‘just for emergencies’. Then, T Mobile came into our mall and gave a fantastic mall employee rate. I dove into a cell phone contract. That first bill was astronomical, thanks to going on a business trip. We added Ed to my plan so that the minutes between us were free. Now, I can’t live without the darn thing-we don’t even have a land line.

Further reliance on technology: I rarely carry cash. That debit card has a Visa logo, so it gets used for everything. The countless panhandlers you see these days might find me with a few pennies to give, because I use that card. Based on what I see from my customers, I am not alone.

As a kid, Dad took Giggles and I into New York City for a Circle Line cruise around Manhattan island. He and the taxi driver engaged in small talk on the drive from Penn over to the Pier, something Dad seemed to do with ease. That conversation sticks in my head over 30 years later.

They were talking about the West Side Highway, while we were driving past a construction area for. Dad said that his grandchildren would be adults and that road would look no different than it did that day. The taxi driver laughed and told Dad he was probably right. Well, they’re not adults, but that road still doesn’t exist.

The other part of the conversation had to do with technology. Dad had said that in our lifetime, we’d rely on plastic cards instead of our regular currency. It didn’t happen completely in his lifetime, but within a few years of his passing, debit cards became the norm.

I often wonder what things would be like without the technology we have today. Sometimes, I think of Dad’s conversation with that taxi driver about the future and what it would bring. It makes me wonder what will be around when my grandchildren are adults and what we won’t be able to live without.

Comments

Joyce-Anne said…
You know our kids don't even know life without microwave ovens, computers, dvds, cell phones, Ipods, tv and movies on demand... I'm sure we'll all be able to add to the the list in just another year or so.
Jennifer S said…
It is strange thinking how quickly our most recent technology has evolved. Kids graduating from high school right now were always exposed to computers.

Who knows, maybe one day we'll pay for everything through a microchip implanted in our arms. Scary.
Suzanne said…
I think the first hint I had that kids have it different was when I took Chef's picture with the digital and he said "Lemme see!" Remember having to wait a week to see those pictures? :)

Jennifer, I sure hope not on microchips-because my body would probably rebel against the chip!

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