technology and us

         Do you own a smart phone, ereader, laptop, PC and the like? We are being bombarded by the latest in technology that seems to have no end in sight to its potentiality. I own a smart phone and a laptop and just touched the tip of the tech iceberg given my knowledge base of what these devices can do. These smart devices are called phones yet have little similarity to what was once defined as a phone. I sure do miss the old ways.
        The other day I met a 25 year old who shared the same lament I had about the old days, the simplicity of machines and the ease of communication. A phone not long ago was a stationary product. It remained in the house and was tethered to the wall. Communication was not necessarily immediate and an interaction with a message was completed when a party returned  home, picked up a phone message and returned a call. Hours and at times days might have passed before a return call was made. All accepted the disadvantages of this system and all was well.
        This 25 year old told of a friend of his who called his cell phone and wanted an instant response to a request to hang out with him that evening. He did not respond instantly and phoned her a day later.  She became miffed at him because she wanted an immediate answer to her question. He nonchalantly stated that they could get together another time. This did not sit well with her. These devices demand instant gratification from the caller and bring all sorts of bad feelings when there is noncompliance from the cell calling parties.

         A close friend and I who share age and views on many issues were taking about the way things were and how the world has changed drastically. Her daughter had purchased a few current books and my friend asked to see them. These books were not the touchy feeley kind of book; no spine, no covers, no paper pages, no book smell to them. These were the ebook kind.  We both felt sadness about how the world has evolved and could not but feel a sense of loss of what would never be brought back.               We'll just have to live with it and pretend to be techno savy. So be it.