I can remember when my husband and I bought our very first desk top computer. We lived in San Angelo, Texas, and I drove all the way to Sam's Club in Abilene to purchase it. It was so exciting! We got prodigy.com internet service and had some ridiculously long number (that I could never remember) as our user name. To be honest, it was little more than a typewriter and computerized solitaire game for us back then.
WOW ... how times have changed!
Now I can't imagine life without technology. I use it to stay in touch with friends all over the world through facebook, I have completed my undergraduate studies and now my Masters Degree with it, and I'm utilizing it at this moment to share the random thoughts that I put into this blog.
However it goes so much deeper in our society today. I recently purchased the iPhone and now I'm even more connected to technology. I check my facebook and email more times than I can count in a day, I make phone calls and send text messages, skype, play games, download and read digital books, search the internet, keep up with my favorite sports teams, watch movies and so much more. This made me realize that in the past 21 years I have become COMPLETELY dependent on technology in my daily life.
Some of you may be thinking "too dependent", but even if you don't utilize it as much as I do, you might be surprised to realized how much you are dependent on technology as well. How often in a week do you use an ATM machine, utilize the "self check-out" station at your favorite store, swipe your credit/debit card when paying for items, or "pay at the pump" when purchasing gas? Or when was the last time you checked your bank balance online, purchased something online, made a payment over the phone or renewed your drivers license/license plates online? Weather we like it or not, we live in the age of technology and are slowly becoming acclimated to it.
Maybe I'm moving into it at a faster pace than some, but mark my words ... we are heading there. Rather than fighting it, we might as well learn it, embrace it and utilize it to make our lives easier. It is here to stay. I use to say that I didn't like change. As a bit of a "control freak" that has OCD issues as well, change made me uncomfortable, primarily because I couldn't control it. However as I get older, and hopefully wiser, I am learning to be less rigid in my love of the status quo and am trying to embrace whatever comes my way.
The years we have on earth are ones of lifelong learning. No matter how simple or subtle the learning may be, we are learning something new every day, and it will impact our lives from this day forward.
So I ask you ... what have you learned today?
