The other day, I had yet another doctors appointment. Being summer and being that I am a full time mom, the kids came singing a long. Well, not exactly. First there was a polite question by the eldest if the iPad could be the entertainment. She would check in on our Smurf village. Sure, I say. Explosion of the youngest; it is not fair! Take your Nitendo DS, that's why we bought them for doctor office waits and travel in the car. But, I wanna... Fire cracker. Snap. Pow. Pout. The iPad ends up to be the entertainment playing Phineus and Pherb wifi style.
Yes, in therory, the portable electronic devices were supposed to make the long multiple waits in a young child's life endurable. Some of the games may even accidentally teach something. Others develop coordination and fine motor skills. Yet, in my experience, it only adds stress to a mother's simple life. In my young days, we brought paper and crayons. We went excitedly with mom to her appointments hoping to find the newest Highlights magazine. Well, you might have to ask my mom if it was so easy or if my sis and I had our own share of disputes over the blue crayon. But, my point is, in the simpler time, we didn't fight over how we would be entertained, we only moaned that we were bored. Or so I thought as I scooted my now grumpy kids into the car running five minutes late and already exhausted.
Digital cameras also ruined photography. Black and white dark rooms are being gutted and turned into computer labs at local high schools. Yes, it is true there are some cool things one can do with digital photography to manipulate the image. For example, our family photographer, who took our images with a regular SLR at the start of our family years, was able to take two nearly identical images of the four of us and swap lips so everyone was smiling in the same picture with her digital imaging. Digital photography is cool in many ways. However, as a teacher of old-school photography, I morn those formats and techniques lost to history. As a mom, the digital image makes putting together an album a cinch. However,the preciousness of the image, the roll of film, and keeping the negatives safe until you arrive home and development is lost. Also lost is the the anticipation of waiting for mom to go get the prints so you could see what fun you had on the trip.
The digital image also sucks up my time. Hours are spent labeling, filing, and uploading images. Now, don't get me wrong, I do enjoy this task and pressing the order button on Shutterfly, but is it time well spent? With portable computing devices, I can sit on my couch clicking the mouse of my laptop and swishing a photo from here to there on my iPad. I can chat with friends. I can look at my calendar. I can stay in touch with the news without waiting for ten o'clock. It is great. But, then why am I up hours past when I should be on a regular basis? I could pick up a phone if before eight o'clock. I forget dates all the time. Maybe if I went back to the paper calendar, I would remember them because I am writing them down. Then again, with the e-mail immediacy, I have far more dates to remember then I ought. And news, well, I still prefer the thirty minute update of CBS over the disjointed clips of news on the internet. Maybe that is because I rather listen to the soothing voice of a newscaster then all the reading of the Huffington Post. I never have enjoyed the paper.
The portable devices in my life have ruined my simplicity, and I let them. I am guilty. In the old days merly five years ago or so, I computed for no more then an hour a day. I sat at my desk top in the fourth bedroom during that period between putting the baby in his crib and the fifth and final time the toddler came in to announce she was not tired. When the house was finally snoring, I escaped to read a book or watch shows. And, by the way, I had to get down stairs by eight on Thursdays and Sundays to catch my shows, no DVR. Now, I can record them. Resulting in the lingering through chore tasks prior to sitting down on the cozy couch. Ergo the late bed times.
Okay, okay, it is what it is and I let it happen. I stay up typing blogs and sorting photos. It is a good life. It is a current life. I only miss the simple time when I spent a weekend clipping and pasting scrap books. I miss the days before I shared my space at night. After a warm shower, I crawled in bed to write. Yes, I wrote on paper. Ten minutes a day with a real pen and a book with real paper. Misspellings and all, you can find the grand collection of journals in my studio. They are pretty funny. And then I read a few pages dozing, a head jerk, turn off the light, and goodnight.
Yes, I can return somewhat to these simpler habits. Or can I? It may not be as easy as it sounds. Yet, I hold an element of risitance. You have teased me about it. I have complained I wanted yours when we where travelling and needing directions or resturant recommendations. I use a flip cell phone. It is a three year old antique. I don't text. Thought the company keeps encouraging me to pay more for more services, I pay the least. I enjoy the fact you can't always get a hold of me. It is sort of fun to dash into the gas station to ask someone for directions. And, I can plug into my kids instead of my fancy phone in the middle of the day. Yes, I resist by keeping my phone simple. You might have to ring me a couple of times before you get a hold of me. Oh, I only hope it reminds you of a simplier time when you went out on errands and to play with mom all summer's day. Just you, her and the world. No calls.
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