All photography provided by Jared Chambers

Technology is overwhelming. We are here to help.

Smartphones, apps, Facebook, SnapChat, Pinterest.  What does it all mean? Who has time to learn all of that?  And why would on earth would you even need it?

 Let’s be honest: life used to be much simpler,  Our day-to-day experiences have changed dramatically since the onset of the Internet, computers, and smartphones.  It can be overwhelming and frustrating. It wasn’t that long ago that you lived in a world devoid of these distractions and devices.  

 You journeyed through life for decades without ever needing a cell phone, a laptop, or the Internet.  You grew up phoning on a landline, using card catalogs and typewriters for school projects, and reading newspapers and magazines.

 Conversation was done in person, not by using Skype or FaceTime.  PIcking up the phone was the best way to keep connected with family and friends who lived far away. “Party line” means something completely different to you than to a Generation Xer.  You remember calling your best friend’s house without using an area code (and you still remember the number: 7 3935). It was always fun to call that city number to hear the recorded message of the date and weather.

 Younger folks are shocked when they see you using an actual recipe card (complete with ingredient splatter and handwritten notes). You don’t really see the benefit of Pinterest. To you, ‘pinning’ reminds you of fearful feeling in your stomach when your mother was altering your clothes and you thought she might stick you with the pins (“For Pete’s Sake, Mary, hold STILL!”)

 Sending a “friend request” was a note passed in class (“Do you like me? Check yes or no.”), not something you did on Facebook. ‘Tweeting’ was something that Uncle Louie did after his second glass of wine at the family Thanksgiving meal, not some strange Internet craze.

 When you needed directions, you used an actual map which you stored in your glove box (or glove compartment, depending on where you lived). Local landmarks were just as effective when giving directions. “You’ll drive down Main Street and turn right after the gas station. Pass the house with the pink flamingoes – they really do need to trim those bushes! – and turn left at the blue mailbox.” You didn’t need Google Maps or a GPS thingamabob suction-cupped to your windshield to get where you needed to go.

 Shopping for presents was done in stores, not in cyberspace on Amazon.com. You remember getting the Sears & Roebuck mail order catalog and pouring over each page, circling or earmarking everything you wanted. If you ordered an item to be delivered, it could take weeks.  There was no such thing as “one day delivery”, and to suggest that deliveries in the future would be dropped by robotic flying drones would quickly add you to the Family Crazy List (right there along with Uncle Louie).

 Family entertainment including sitting around the small television set (it only had 4 channels), listening to music on the record player, or playing board games or cards. Sitting in the living room or around the kitchen table was where the memories were made, not in an online forums or chasing imaginary creatures around town. What the heck is so appealing about Pokemon Go, anyway?

 You wrote lists on paper.  Sometimes on stylish note pads, but many times shopping lists were scribbled on scraps of paper or the backs of envelopes. You used a bulletin board (or the side of the refrigerator) to post newspaper clippings, photographs, reminders, and maybe even a postcard of your dream vacation spot.  You didn’t need a Pinterest board for any of that.

 Invitations to social gatherings and parties were sent by mail or in person, not sending an “Evite”. Email was non-existent.  You wrote letters and sent greeting cards. And the biggest shock of them all? You wrote in cursive.

But this new technology, as overwhelming as it can feel, has some benefits worth looking into.  Finding the right technology tools can enrich your life, instead of taking away from it.

Missing your grandchild’s school concert since they live so far away? No problem.  FaceTime with them after the performance to see how it went. (It’s a win-win since you didn’t have to deal with the parking or the 90-minute concert featuring 100 kids playing their recorders.)

Get a last-minute invitation to your friend’s house for dinner and offer to bring the dessert, but you can’t remember that last ingredient?  No problem, look it up on your phone in Trello or on your Yummy Dessert board on Pinterest.

Don’t feel like dealing with crazy holiday crowds and rage-inducing traffic at the supermarket?  Use a handy express shopping app to order your groceries from your kitchen table…it’s like having your own personal shopper! Pull up to the Pick Up Lane so they can load your car, and then drive away and chuckle as you see your cranky neighbor battling for a parking spot.   

The possibilities are nearly endless…and that can make this extremely overwhelming.

I’m here to help, and I’ll be with you each step of the way.  Let’s get started!

-Mary

we are thankful for these opportunities: