Are you old enough to remember a time with no computers? When I was a kid we talked with our friends on the telephone, but only if it was a local call. Now I have friends I communicate with more than once a week: in South Africa, Australia, Michigan, Bulgaria, North Dakota, and right here at home in western New York. We all pay a fee to use the internet which connects us as if we were right next door. Learning about how normal every day things are done differently because of global location is fascinating to me. Last week I had a glitch in my computer and I was having a fit about not being able to “talk” to my international friends. I guess I wouldn’t be a good candidate for one of those ‘month in a wilderness cabin for a lot of money promotions.’ Maybe if I could pre-plan it I could make it work, the money sounds good. I digress.

Think of all the ways technology is used throughout a regular day. Our doctors and dentists now go room to room with a computer to put notes on. Our prescriptions are faxed to the pharmacy, not hand carried. We choose our dinner items in an airport via a computer screen, not a server. We e-mail our children’s teachers and send each other texts about any and every thing, along with a picture. We’ve come a long way baby, as the song says.

I think some of the personal touch has been lost with all the technology when it comes to e-mail and texting, and how to use the English language has suffered, but more of us are able to stay in touch easily and quickly so I guess it’s a fair trade. I’m not sure I am in favor of knowing what every human is thinking and how they are acting that we see on the news because it tends to affect in a negative way, or it does me anyway. Sometimes ignorance is bliss.

Technology has made the world a smaller place. I love being able to look at pictures from any location on earth to see the beauty of nature. I enjoy being able to look up information about any subject that might come up in a conversation. I like to be able to order anything I want from anywhere in the world, for a fee of course, but most of all I enjoy “talking” with my international friends. I know technology contributes to many other aspects in our daily lives but it’s the communication that has the most fun effect in mine. So wherever you are, thanks for listening.