I have been sitting here for awhile, staring at the computer....wondering what to write about.
Typically, something will occur during the day that will get me riled up, and it becomes the subject of my post. That, or I will sit at the computer and start typing...and some sort of topic will emerge from the jumbled thoughts that travel from my brain to my obedient little fingers.
It's interesting, isn't it....how typing skills differ from person to person.
I took typing class in high school, and my teacher assumed that since I played piano, I would be an excellent typer. Actually....she gave me no choice.
My friend Jess and I were in her class together, and we would both go on to pursue piano as a career. She told us we would be better typists than the other kids because of our dexterity due to piano playing. This wasn't an option. We better damn well be the best typists in the class, because she would accept nothing less.
I am good at typing.
~
You can certainly pick out the people who did NOT take typing class. You know...the "two fingered keyboard punchers". It must be so frustrating attempting to type at length that way.
The youth of today seem to have no need for typing class.
They came out of the womb with their thumbs ready to text...and since they work on computers from the time they can walk...it is just second nature for them. Ah, how times have changed.
~
I am just happy that my phone has that voice activated texting option. It is SO much faster to dictate my text than to type the damn thing with two fingers. Two THUMBS of all things. Not exactly the daintiest, most reliable of fingers.
No wonder EVERY TIME I try to type love it says live. Or of becomes if. The letters are just too close together for a thumb to be expected to type with any sort of accuracy.
Of course, my dictated messages often take on a life of their own.
It's always a good idea to read them before hitting send.
Although, I will admit, I have gotten some pretty hilarious messages from people who did NOT proof-read their dictated messages.
So...on second thought, if you are sending a voice text to me...don't proof read.
It's so much more fun trying to piece together your message from the disaster of nonsense words and bad autocorrects your phone comes up with.
~
Since I have shifted my topic to phones....let's continue there.
Seriously. Where to begin?
~
Texting.
Some people feel that texting has pulled us away from human interaction. From actually talking to one another.
Here is my take on it.
I LOVE texting. For a couple of reasons.
1. I HATE talking on a cell phone. Specifically a cell phone.
When I had a land line...I had NO problem talking on it. The sound was clear....no weird echo or feed back. It was a pleasant experience (assuming I liked the person I was talking to.)
Talking on a cell phone is awful. There is often that weird echo, where you have a delayed replay of everything you say echoing in your ear.
I find that there is a lot more interrupting one another during the conversation when on a cell phone. I think that is because once again, the sound is not clear.
It is just not an enjoyable experience.
2. Texting is a lot like subtitles.
I love subtitles.
For me...(a woman with sucky hearing)....it is just easier to read things.
A text gives me the information I need, quickly and efficiently.
I can also go back and refer to it if I need to.
What more could I ask for?
~
My husband often says that I love my phone more than him.
This is not necessarily true.
My phone just happens to be more interesting than him. :p
This is probably the problem with society and the smart phone.
Why do we need to interact with people when we have Facebook, Pinterest,
Twitter, Instagram, texts, e-mails, the internet....pretty much everything one can imagine at our fingertips?
I dare say, the smart phone has made us all dumb.
And often, quite rude.
I am really glad that I lived my teenage years pre-cell phone/internet/technology.
In other words...during the stone age.
Back then, you actually had to work at a relationship.
There was none of this "I am going to text him/her...or message him/her on Facebook and see if they want to hang out this weekend!"
Lame.
Back in the olden days, you actually had to CALL each other, or hunt them down and ask them in person. There was none of this "hide behind a gadget" nonsense.
You actually had to talk to each other. Crazy...I know.
There was only one time when it would have been handy for some advanced technology back in the day. It was a month or so after Mark and I started dating.
He was one of those "dedicated students" who spent a lot of time in the practice room. We went to different colleges, so one night I left a note on his car windshield (since he was never home, and impossible to track down) saying "give me a call."
I assumed I would get a phone call. I assumed wrong.
He got so mad at me. He thought I was being too controlling and overbearing.
Seriously??
Good thing I hadn't picked the lock on his car and camped out inside until he got there. Or maybe he would have preferred that?
I would have appeared to be less stalker-esque, I guess.
But really...I don't know that I would want to be dating in today's society.
Everything seems to wind up being a Facebook status.
I think I would just stick with "It's Complicated" and call it a day.
I really do love the convenience of having all of my "contacts" at my fingertips wherever I go. It's super handy knowing that if I ever have a question about something, I can google it, or post it on Facebook and will likely have an answer in seconds. I enjoy having a portable entertainment system that I can take anywhere. Sitting in waiting rooms, or at the airport are no longer boring and endless.
However, as much as I enjoy all of these perks that technology provides,for me, there are some things it can never replace.
I will never choose a kindle or a nook over a real book.
I have no desire to plug my appointments into an electronic calendar.
I am old school when it comes to this. I need a calendar I can carry with me, and write in....and never worry about running out of battery to view.
I also will continue to write, by hand, whenever I can. It breaks my heart to see that the art of cursive writing, and beautiful penmanship is a dying art. What a disservice to kids that it isn't even being taught anymore in some places?!
When it comes to interaction, conversation, and my overall need to connect with others....technology will never hold a candle to human relationships.
Texting, e-mail, Skype, FaceTime.....none of it will ever be able to compare to the joy of human interaction.
~
Well, technology will just keep advancing....and we can hope and pray that people won't forget how to interact with one another.
Maybe we will get lucky, and laws will be passed where phones are no longer allowed in restaurants and bars....they will be banned, just like cigarettes.
I'm sure every employee at these establishments would be thrilled if this were the case. Lord knows their jobs would be a lot easier if they didn't have to waster their time waiting for people to get off their phones long enough to decide what to order.
I know that I am never giving up my pen and paper, and I will hold on to my "old school" traditions as long as I possibly can.
~
As far as when we are spending time with friends and family, or just out socializing....the best place for that phone is tucked away, and silent.
Typically, something will occur during the day that will get me riled up, and it becomes the subject of my post. That, or I will sit at the computer and start typing...and some sort of topic will emerge from the jumbled thoughts that travel from my brain to my obedient little fingers.
It's interesting, isn't it....how typing skills differ from person to person.
I took typing class in high school, and my teacher assumed that since I played piano, I would be an excellent typer. Actually....she gave me no choice.
My friend Jess and I were in her class together, and we would both go on to pursue piano as a career. She told us we would be better typists than the other kids because of our dexterity due to piano playing. This wasn't an option. We better damn well be the best typists in the class, because she would accept nothing less.
I am good at typing.
~
You can certainly pick out the people who did NOT take typing class. You know...the "two fingered keyboard punchers". It must be so frustrating attempting to type at length that way.
The youth of today seem to have no need for typing class.
They came out of the womb with their thumbs ready to text...and since they work on computers from the time they can walk...it is just second nature for them. Ah, how times have changed.
~
I am just happy that my phone has that voice activated texting option. It is SO much faster to dictate my text than to type the damn thing with two fingers. Two THUMBS of all things. Not exactly the daintiest, most reliable of fingers.
No wonder EVERY TIME I try to type love it says live. Or of becomes if. The letters are just too close together for a thumb to be expected to type with any sort of accuracy.
Of course, my dictated messages often take on a life of their own.
It's always a good idea to read them before hitting send.
Although, I will admit, I have gotten some pretty hilarious messages from people who did NOT proof-read their dictated messages.
So...on second thought, if you are sending a voice text to me...don't proof read.
It's so much more fun trying to piece together your message from the disaster of nonsense words and bad autocorrects your phone comes up with.
~
Since I have shifted my topic to phones....let's continue there.
Seriously. Where to begin?
~
Texting.
Some people feel that texting has pulled us away from human interaction. From actually talking to one another.
Here is my take on it.
I LOVE texting. For a couple of reasons.
1. I HATE talking on a cell phone. Specifically a cell phone.
When I had a land line...I had NO problem talking on it. The sound was clear....no weird echo or feed back. It was a pleasant experience (assuming I liked the person I was talking to.)
Talking on a cell phone is awful. There is often that weird echo, where you have a delayed replay of everything you say echoing in your ear.
I find that there is a lot more interrupting one another during the conversation when on a cell phone. I think that is because once again, the sound is not clear.
It is just not an enjoyable experience.
2. Texting is a lot like subtitles.
I love subtitles.
For me...(a woman with sucky hearing)....it is just easier to read things.
A text gives me the information I need, quickly and efficiently.
I can also go back and refer to it if I need to.
What more could I ask for?
~
My husband often says that I love my phone more than him.
This is not necessarily true.
My phone just happens to be more interesting than him. :p
This is probably the problem with society and the smart phone.
Why do we need to interact with people when we have Facebook, Pinterest,
Twitter, Instagram, texts, e-mails, the internet....pretty much everything one can imagine at our fingertips?
I dare say, the smart phone has made us all dumb.
And often, quite rude.
I am really glad that I lived my teenage years pre-cell phone/internet/technology.
In other words...during the stone age.
Back then, you actually had to work at a relationship.
There was none of this "I am going to text him/her...or message him/her on Facebook and see if they want to hang out this weekend!"
Lame.
Back in the olden days, you actually had to CALL each other, or hunt them down and ask them in person. There was none of this "hide behind a gadget" nonsense.
You actually had to talk to each other. Crazy...I know.
There was only one time when it would have been handy for some advanced technology back in the day. It was a month or so after Mark and I started dating.
He was one of those "dedicated students" who spent a lot of time in the practice room. We went to different colleges, so one night I left a note on his car windshield (since he was never home, and impossible to track down) saying "give me a call."
I assumed I would get a phone call. I assumed wrong.
He got so mad at me. He thought I was being too controlling and overbearing.
Seriously??
Good thing I hadn't picked the lock on his car and camped out inside until he got there. Or maybe he would have preferred that?
I would have appeared to be less stalker-esque, I guess.
But really...I don't know that I would want to be dating in today's society.
Everything seems to wind up being a Facebook status.
I think I would just stick with "It's Complicated" and call it a day.
I really do love the convenience of having all of my "contacts" at my fingertips wherever I go. It's super handy knowing that if I ever have a question about something, I can google it, or post it on Facebook and will likely have an answer in seconds. I enjoy having a portable entertainment system that I can take anywhere. Sitting in waiting rooms, or at the airport are no longer boring and endless.
However, as much as I enjoy all of these perks that technology provides,for me, there are some things it can never replace.
I will never choose a kindle or a nook over a real book.
I have no desire to plug my appointments into an electronic calendar.
I am old school when it comes to this. I need a calendar I can carry with me, and write in....and never worry about running out of battery to view.
I also will continue to write, by hand, whenever I can. It breaks my heart to see that the art of cursive writing, and beautiful penmanship is a dying art. What a disservice to kids that it isn't even being taught anymore in some places?!
When it comes to interaction, conversation, and my overall need to connect with others....technology will never hold a candle to human relationships.
Texting, e-mail, Skype, FaceTime.....none of it will ever be able to compare to the joy of human interaction.
~
Well, technology will just keep advancing....and we can hope and pray that people won't forget how to interact with one another.
Maybe we will get lucky, and laws will be passed where phones are no longer allowed in restaurants and bars....they will be banned, just like cigarettes.
I'm sure every employee at these establishments would be thrilled if this were the case. Lord knows their jobs would be a lot easier if they didn't have to waster their time waiting for people to get off their phones long enough to decide what to order.
I know that I am never giving up my pen and paper, and I will hold on to my "old school" traditions as long as I possibly can.
~
As far as when we are spending time with friends and family, or just out socializing....the best place for that phone is tucked away, and silent.
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