Resistance Is Futile

There was one day this week where I was actually away from my computer for nearly 18 hours.

Amazing, I know.

Of course, nearly 8 of those hours were spent sleeping. And 3 of those hours were spent away from home. But, still.

Amazing.

Most of those 8 sleeping hours were spent having dreams that were somewhere closer to nightmares. In the first one, I was aimlessly searching for a computer. I tried the library, public schools, even the bank - all to no avail. I could not get online regardless of how hard I tried. I can not remember why I needed to be online - only that it was increasingly more important that I do so. You know those dreams where you wake up and feel like you never went to sleep? This was one of those.

I awoke to my crying baby, glad for the escape from my search for an internet connection.

When I fell back asleep, a new nightmare took shape. It was one of the worst I can remember ever having. It involved the death (by spontaneous combustion) of my younger brother as well as the realization that my flesh was falling off in chunks.

To top it all off, I had a headache that would not go away for 3 days after this internet fast.

My conclusion?

Avoiding the computer is completely not worth it.

Welcome to the Technology Age

When it comes to technology, we can be a bit slow on the uptake.

I vividly remember when Compact Discs began to replace tapes. Who would want to carry around a bunch of easily breakable circles when sturdy tapes were available? I refused to make the switch, because I KNEW that CDs would not last like I KNEW Ricky Schroder from "Silver Spoons" was going to be my boyfriend someday.

Maybe I was wrong about CDs. (and the Rickster.)

And then DVD players. What? What in the world was wrong with VHS tapes? And how could DVDs fit into my VHS storage tower? Did someone expect people to buy DVDs to replace all of the movies they already owned on VHS? What a silly idea.

Ok, strike two.

And "mobile phones"...come on! Are people really that busy that they need to have a phone in their CAR the size of an industrial-strength walkie-talkie? Ok, so they got smaller... and smaller... and then I got one, but just as an emergency phone while I was driving a one-hour commute to and from downtown in the wee hours of the night. When the year contract was up, I was happy to be rid of it.

Well, life happens. There were a few things that happened that just SCREAMED to us, "GET CELL PHONES ALREADY!!" So we finally succumbed, with the idea that it is good for our kids to be able to get a hold of us at all times. I'm not sure which of my kids was more excited - you'd have thought these phones were for them! And I don't care if every kid in middle and high school has a phone - my kids aren't getting one. All they use them for is "texting" each other anyway. What ever happened to passing notes?? Have you seen the handwriting of teenagers these days? Atrocious! My little 6-year-old Cowgirl even requested a phone of her own. I just laughed and said, "Oh, sweetie, kids your age don't have phones." "Yes they do. A girl in my class has her own phone."

You've got to be kidding me.