Many things have changed since 2010. I still used a flip-phone. Direct TV provided all the entertainment anyone needed; Alexa was a girl’s name, and “streaming” was something a creek did. I signed up for “Facebook” to keep in touch with friends and see grandchildren’s photos.
As the last decade surged ahead, I changed with it, although reluctantly. I finally caved and bought a smartphone. My feelings towards it are still conflicted. Yes, I can always be reached, but is that good?
I still use Direct TV as my main source of television watching, but have dipped my toes in the waters of “streaming.” I’m gaining more confidence, but the worlds of Hulu and Vudu still frighten me.
However, I haven’t really pulled myself into the modern world. Alexa doesn’t live in my house. “She” makes me nervous. Twitter and Instagram are not part of my life, yet. I haven’t found time to acquaint myself.
Ultimately new technology still has limitations. This morning, Mother Nature sent a reminder. I wasn’t really running late, but my column needed to be written. Ideas were churning in my head, and although I had a “to-do” list long enough to circle my house, I sat down at my computer, ready to write. I still had some time but needed to get the job done.
I typed the first sentence and —-! The power went out. Along with it, the Wi-Fi and the Internet were gone. My computer still worked, but eventually, its battery life would end. Life, as I knew it ground to a halt; smartphones, texting, and all. I grabbed a pen and piece of paper and began to write the old-fashioned way—by hand. Within an hour, the power was back, and I’d managed to scribble a page or two.
Note: Many things have changed over the last decade, but I’m happy to report that my bird-feeding hobby and the birds themselves haven’t. They still flock to my feeding grounds. They still eat just about anything I throw out, and although last year’s friendly nuthatches haven’t returned to be hand-fed, a nice little group of chickadees and nuthatches and a large rowdy gang of blue jays gather in my yard each morning. It’s nice to know some things don’t change.
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