Hopefully, that title has caused you to be humming the song from "Napoleon Dynamite." Today, I'm grateful for technology. Actually, every day, I'm grateful for technology. It makes so many things better in my life. I'm specifically referring to the electronic types---computers, etc. As a teacher, the computer has added limitless dimensions to my lesson preparation. I can write my own quizzes, I can make my own worksheets. So many good ideas are out there from which to share and borrow. However, I recognize that all sorts of technological advances have existed since the first people figured out that they could use a rock to crack open a nutshell to get to the tasty kernel inside.
I remember reading an anecdote about a grandmother asking her adult granddaughter if she could keep only one of her modern kitchen conveniences the woman had, which would she choose. The granddaughter thought about it for a moment, and then decided that the refrigerator would be the one. The grandmother smiled and said, "I'd keep the running water." See? We don't even think of that as a modern convenience. To most of us, that is something we would consider as basic as a front door, or a house with a roof. Our water pipes used to freeze in the winter, when I was a child. My dad would build bonfires to defrost them. Once, they broke and couldn't be repaired till summer, so we hauled water into our house for at least eight months. I was only nine and vaguely remember the inconvenience. I can't even imagine my mother's burden during all that.
One reason I appreciated technology this week was the convenience with which I was able to plan, then un-plan my trip to the east coast. With a few strokes of computer keys, I'd made the reservations, and then, I was able to keep current on the hour-by-hour conditions of the airports, and, ultimately, cancel the whole trip. But, as I went to pick up my students from the library on Wednesday, I realized that I'd forgotten about the rental car reservation that was awaiting my arrival at 11:30 that night in Providence, RI. I was carrying my iPhone, so I stepped into the patio of the school, right across from the library, and logged onto the internet to the Budget site. I tapped the blue phone number under "contact us" and after the phone connected, a computerized voice said, "Welcome [EarthSignMama] to Budget. Do you wish to confirm or cancel your reservation?" I replied, "Cancel" and heard the computer thank me, and express its desire that I use their services again when I needed a car, and --- voila! Thirty seconds and it was done! I walked back into the building as my students were lining up at the library door, and we all marched down the hall to our classroom.
Sometimes, that inter-webs connection thing can be a little creepy. I'm sure you've noticed on your computer that, if you do a search for something, then the next time you're logged into Facebook or your main page, that the advertisements will mysteriously appear for whatever product or service you were looking for last time. Once, I had been writing a blog about farm jobs I'd done as a teenager, and I wanted to include a photo of a piece of machinery I'd driven around the fields, helping my dad prepare the plowed ground for planting. Then, the next day, when I logged into my main internet site, I was greeted by photos of harrows and discs and advertisements for tractor and farm implement stores. Weird.
Nevertheless--I still love technology and all the wonderful conveniences it provides me. I love that I can find just the right photo to explain something to my students. I love that I can keep connected with the many friends I've made as I moved around the country. I love that I can instantly see photos of my grandchildren without having to wait for developing and mailing. I love that I can find a recipe for anything that I'd like to make. Etc. Etc. Etc. Thank you to all the people who have made the internet possible and to all you geeks who invented computers. Bless you.
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