Technology

I am so thankful for technology, despite its myriad of flat sides. It helps me stay connected to loved ones. It allows me to explore art and creation in ways that would have been expensive and prohibitive. And with it I can practice my writing.

Most of my extended family live in the Pacific Northwest. I lived all but six or seven of my growing up years in Ohio. This made communication challenging. There was a time, young ones, when conversations had to be kept very short. Long distance bills were a very real, cumbersome, EXPENSIVE concern. I remember dreaming of being able to talk at length or by video with the people I missed the most. Flash forward and we have the luxury of video chats and unlimited minutes for domestic long distance. I can send a message to someone in Australia, Hawaii, France, in a second. Technology affords me speedy, efficient, inexpensive ways to stay connected with the dearest people in my world.

I’ve always loved photography and the idea of capturing the quirky, beautiful things I see in real time. The process of getting film developed and seeing a fuzzy, blurry image of what I had envisioned was expensive and discouraging. Add to that the very real longing and lack of knowledge or access to develop my own photos. Now, I have a pocket computer that gives me the ability to take a photo, crop it, add a filter, (“lay down, flip it, and reverse it”) and then send it to any person on my contact list or posting to the wider world. There’s no waiting for crappy versions of a vision. I don’t like it? I delete it. I can invite folks to walk with me for just a moment, to see what I see. That is some next level Star Trek stuff and I am here for it.

Tech also gives me the chance to write and share with a sense of immediacy, too. Maybe something I have to say can help someone else in real time. Or maybe make them think in a new way. Or maybe they can challenge me in a response. I’m thankful for this aspect of technology.

Robocalls, spam, and a constant barrage of overwhelm, well, those maybe not so much. But for now, I’m willing to tolerate a few of the irritants to be able to say I love you, walk beside me, in as many ways as I can.