Monday, January 25, 2010
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
Abracadabra!! Look Grandma, I'm Wireless!
Last night I was sitting and talking to friend about how the way we “do things” has changed so much in the last 10 years or so. I haven’t sat down and developed the timeline, but those of you who are 30 and above will know exactly what I’m talking about.
12 years ago, once a month, I would collect all the monthly bills that arrived in our mailbox and place them in a manila file folder and wait for payday. I would make that monthly trek to the post office and stand in line and purchase the stamps that I would need to return my payment in my creditors thoughtfully provided envelope. Then, usually on a Sunday evening, when I had nothing better to do with my time, I would carefully organize the bills, set out the stamps and return envelopes, secure my checkbook hoping that I had enough money to cover all the bills that were clamoring for my attention (I still worry about having enough money—that hasn’t changed a bit). I would write the checks, record my account # on the memo portion, and place them carefully in the provided envelope, lick and affix the stamp, and seal the envelope. This process would take me about 90 minutes—I had too many bills. I would then take my ritual walk at 10:00 p.m. to the mailbox on the corner and send my payments off. This was my monthly ritual--for years.
Today the bills are still there and they still clamor for my attention and my hard earned money. But my how life has changed! Last evening I sat at the kitchen table with my wireless cell phone and accessed my bank account and in a matter of seconds paid my Time Warner cable bill. I’m still amazed, in awe … call it what you will, that I can use this small, flat, shiny device that appears to be connected to nothing, to do so many tasks. I can buy a movie ticket, pay bills, send emails, “instant messages’, take pictures and video and post to a social networking page for my friends and family to be able to view instantly. I remember when I was amazed by the Polaroid camera and the instant pictures that it provided! I can now read the latest news and see live video feeds, and can even let you all know what I am doing at that particular moment (I do have some modesty and don’t tell you everything). I don't have to be sitting at my desk at home ... I can even be at the car wash and do all these things.
Wow … I think this must be something like how people felt when they first had a radio in their home. A box with a speaker plugged into the wall and then suddenly you hear FDR’s voice coming from inside giving his famous fireside chats … I don’t think they had Casey Kasem’s American Top 40 at the time. I can imagine a 10-year-old child examining the “box” closely and then begin taking it apart to look for exactly where that voice was coming from.
Human ingenuity is amazing. My grandmother will be 99 years old in April. She was born in 1911, and at that time there were no transcontinental flights, or flights of any kind except by our winged friends with beaks/bills. Just traveling to the neighboring state at that time was a major event that took a week or more. My grandma “saw” the first human flight, and during the 1970’s she boarded a 747 and flew to Rome, Italy. Prior to that she watched man first step foot on the moon (maybe one day we’ll return and go beyond). She saw her grandson, Neal, become fascinated with the first home computers. In the late 1970’s, in my grandma’s basement, Neal was taking apart the “Commodore” and figuring out how it worked. Now, 30 years later after that first home computer, grandma is able to sit down and view what I write here. No need for a stamp and the U.S. Postal Service. —That is obsolete. I’m sure the Postal Service will probably exist for 20 or 30 more years because government responds so slowly to change, but truly they are not really needed any longer.
I am already amazed at the changes I’ve seen during the past 15 years. I eagerly am anticipating the next 15. What changes will I see? Will we have cars that drive themselves? Will we find something that extends life by 50 years? I remember the Jetson’s cartoon—I’m sure it’s still being replayed on some TV stations. So many of things in that cartoon are now a reality. My favorite is the “television phone call.” Jane Jetson has to hold up a cardboard image of herself to hide her “morning face.” Can you say “Skype?”
12 years ago, once a month, I would collect all the monthly bills that arrived in our mailbox and place them in a manila file folder and wait for payday. I would make that monthly trek to the post office and stand in line and purchase the stamps that I would need to return my payment in my creditors thoughtfully provided envelope. Then, usually on a Sunday evening, when I had nothing better to do with my time, I would carefully organize the bills, set out the stamps and return envelopes, secure my checkbook hoping that I had enough money to cover all the bills that were clamoring for my attention (I still worry about having enough money—that hasn’t changed a bit). I would write the checks, record my account # on the memo portion, and place them carefully in the provided envelope, lick and affix the stamp, and seal the envelope. This process would take me about 90 minutes—I had too many bills. I would then take my ritual walk at 10:00 p.m. to the mailbox on the corner and send my payments off. This was my monthly ritual--for years.
Today the bills are still there and they still clamor for my attention and my hard earned money. But my how life has changed! Last evening I sat at the kitchen table with my wireless cell phone and accessed my bank account and in a matter of seconds paid my Time Warner cable bill. I’m still amazed, in awe … call it what you will, that I can use this small, flat, shiny device that appears to be connected to nothing, to do so many tasks. I can buy a movie ticket, pay bills, send emails, “instant messages’, take pictures and video and post to a social networking page for my friends and family to be able to view instantly. I remember when I was amazed by the Polaroid camera and the instant pictures that it provided! I can now read the latest news and see live video feeds, and can even let you all know what I am doing at that particular moment (I do have some modesty and don’t tell you everything). I don't have to be sitting at my desk at home ... I can even be at the car wash and do all these things.
Wow … I think this must be something like how people felt when they first had a radio in their home. A box with a speaker plugged into the wall and then suddenly you hear FDR’s voice coming from inside giving his famous fireside chats … I don’t think they had Casey Kasem’s American Top 40 at the time. I can imagine a 10-year-old child examining the “box” closely and then begin taking it apart to look for exactly where that voice was coming from.
Human ingenuity is amazing. My grandmother will be 99 years old in April. She was born in 1911, and at that time there were no transcontinental flights, or flights of any kind except by our winged friends with beaks/bills. Just traveling to the neighboring state at that time was a major event that took a week or more. My grandma “saw” the first human flight, and during the 1970’s she boarded a 747 and flew to Rome, Italy. Prior to that she watched man first step foot on the moon (maybe one day we’ll return and go beyond). She saw her grandson, Neal, become fascinated with the first home computers. In the late 1970’s, in my grandma’s basement, Neal was taking apart the “Commodore” and figuring out how it worked. Now, 30 years later after that first home computer, grandma is able to sit down and view what I write here. No need for a stamp and the U.S. Postal Service. —That is obsolete. I’m sure the Postal Service will probably exist for 20 or 30 more years because government responds so slowly to change, but truly they are not really needed any longer.
I am already amazed at the changes I’ve seen during the past 15 years. I eagerly am anticipating the next 15. What changes will I see? Will we have cars that drive themselves? Will we find something that extends life by 50 years? I remember the Jetson’s cartoon—I’m sure it’s still being replayed on some TV stations. So many of things in that cartoon are now a reality. My favorite is the “television phone call.” Jane Jetson has to hold up a cardboard image of herself to hide her “morning face.” Can you say “Skype?”
Monday, January 4, 2010
This is a picture of my grandma who will be 99 on April 28th this year, Emily, Katie and I. I am blessed to still have my grandma with us and that my daughters have grown up knowing her as well. We live in California and she's in Washington state, but we usually have the chance to visit once a year and sometimes twice.
Today
Today only happens once. I will likely cross someone's path who I will never see again. There will be an opportunity to say a kind word to someone who's having a difficult day and this particular moment will not come my way again. I will have five or 10 minutes to read an interesting article--those minutes will not come to me again. I have this opportunity to write down a few of my thoughts--it will take me all of a few minutes. If I don't do it now, it won't get done today and I will have lost this particular moment. Today happens but once and this moment happens but once. What will I do with it? What opportunities will I grab hold of and which will I let pass by me forever?
Sunday, January 3, 2010
CNN Poll--Optimistic About 2010?
Optimistic about 2010? That was the latest CNN poll that just popped up for me to participate in. At first I hesitated on whether I should participate in such an asinine thing. What difference does it make if I’m optimistic or not? Will that change anything that happens during the year? What happens, will happen … good, bad, and otherwise will happen whether I am optimistic or not. Is this an optimistic viewpoint? It’s not optimistic or pessimistic … it is simply true.
What is also absolutely true is that my outlook on tomorrow, next week, next month, and the next year will chart my course and will influence what happens in my life. You and I, both experience the same tragic event—let’s say the death of a partner or spouse. I choose to focus on how my partner added to my life, made me more kind, caring and sensitive to t he needs of others …. Or I could choose the path of loss, bitterness, and anger over something about which I have no control. The latter choice will lead to unproductive decisions and choices. The former choice (I mean choice and not attitude) will lead me to make decisions that benefit myself and others. My positive impact on others will influence in a positive way how I am perceived and what opportunities and interactions come my direction as a result.
This is not what CNN had in mind when they asked if I was optimistic about 2010. They are referring to our world and to our country. I will always be optimisitic … not because I think wonderful and great things will always happen or only happen. It is how I respond to events that makes me an optimist. There will be some very good things that happen during 2010 and some pretty crappy things that happen as well—that’s just the way that life works. What makes me an optimist is the opportunities that I find in the crappy things that happen. If lose my job, will I take this opportunity to learn a new skill; when my partner is diagnosed with incurable cancer, will I take this opportunity to escort him gracefully to the other side?; when I unexpectedly encounter conflict on my job, I will examine my contributing actions and motives and I will be thankful that I have a job.
Optimism is a choice …. it is not a belief that what will happen in the future will be weighted toward good or weighted toward bad. Good and bad will happen, that is the given . . . the constant in life. What makes us optimistic is how we respond to those “bad” things. I choose to focus on the good that can and will come from the bad that happens.
What is also absolutely true is that my outlook on tomorrow, next week, next month, and the next year will chart my course and will influence what happens in my life. You and I, both experience the same tragic event—let’s say the death of a partner or spouse. I choose to focus on how my partner added to my life, made me more kind, caring and sensitive to t he needs of others …. Or I could choose the path of loss, bitterness, and anger over something about which I have no control. The latter choice will lead to unproductive decisions and choices. The former choice (I mean choice and not attitude) will lead me to make decisions that benefit myself and others. My positive impact on others will influence in a positive way how I am perceived and what opportunities and interactions come my direction as a result.
This is not what CNN had in mind when they asked if I was optimistic about 2010. They are referring to our world and to our country. I will always be optimisitic … not because I think wonderful and great things will always happen or only happen. It is how I respond to events that makes me an optimist. There will be some very good things that happen during 2010 and some pretty crappy things that happen as well—that’s just the way that life works. What makes me an optimist is the opportunities that I find in the crappy things that happen. If lose my job, will I take this opportunity to learn a new skill; when my partner is diagnosed with incurable cancer, will I take this opportunity to escort him gracefully to the other side?; when I unexpectedly encounter conflict on my job, I will examine my contributing actions and motives and I will be thankful that I have a job.
Optimism is a choice …. it is not a belief that what will happen in the future will be weighted toward good or weighted toward bad. Good and bad will happen, that is the given . . . the constant in life. What makes us optimistic is how we respond to those “bad” things. I choose to focus on the good that can and will come from the bad that happens.
Happy New Year
The New Year and New Decade have arrived. I sound "middle aged" when I say where has the time gone? Every year seems to be a blur. I'm sitting here looking at a picture of my beautiful daughters... they were about 5 and 7 at the time. Now they are beautiful young ladies; 14 and 16 years old and both with young men calling. Emily will be senior next school year and then it's off to college .... Wow! I am blessed to have two wonderful daughters--kind, caring, and bright. My New Year's resolution is to "slow down" and savor the moments ... since I'm not able to slow the passage of time I have to do what I can to slow myself down to create and savor special moments with those around me.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)