I’m an analog person. I admit it. As a young wife, I was content with my books, my three TV channels, and my corded telephone. Life was so simple! And then computers rocked my world! It’s my husband’s fault, of course. He became obsessed with them and his obsession spilled over into every corner of my life.
First he bedazzled me with a sleek looking word processor — so cool! I could erase without erasing! Just backspace and it was fixed. How much easier than carbons and white out. One problem though — you could only see one line at a time as you typed. Not perfect, but wait! Soon came the word processors that could also print. Definitely amazing! I became much more interested in putting my fledgling writing on paper.
But the Christmas our young sons received a huge box, mysteriously and uncharacteristically wrapped by my husband, was the true turning point.
What was in the box was the beginning of a weird and wonderful friendship for them, and strangely, for me. The box contained our first computer, a TI99. Eyeing the alien object, I memorably said, “Sooo, what will they do with that?”
Our sons knew what to do. They ripped open the present with great excitement and spent the rest of Christmas Day setting it up. Soon they were stringing zeros and numbers together to program it. They hooked up an old black and white TV to use as a monitor and a tape recorder to save their files. It turned out the computer did things, lots of things. They created games, made crude drawings, and learned basic coding skills. They also developed an excitement for what computers could do. Soon our home was filled with other kids who came to watch and learn. Who knew programming computers was such a social amusement? It also made a terrific racket — buzzing, beeping, and screeching echoed throughout the house.
In the evenings, I stubbornly squirreled away with my beloved books amid the digital yammer surrounding me. Computers were not for me — I was a tactile person.
Somewhere along this timeline, we got our first personal computer with a keyboard, a big step up from the Christmas TI99. Now I was curious. A computer that worked like a typewriter/word processor and could save my writing, too? When no one was around, I cautiously tried it out. Was it possible to find my way in a digital world?
It seems it was! I learned enough to be hired by our local hospital when one of the job requirements included basic computer skills. I had picked up enough to learn the job and even teach the other nurses. Osmosis is a wonderful thing! So began my journey into the computerized domain. What followed was a dizzying array of personal computers with hard drives, then Windows, integrated circuits that led to tangled, mindless passwords, which I learned to hate with a passion!
At work, our hospital was among the first to have centralized scheduling for all our surgical procedures. It also brought endless latent periods when the mainframe went down. So, back to pencils and paper to keep up with incoming calls and then many hours trying to catch up later. Life was bumpy in the 80s.
Meanwhile, our home became outfitted with a confusing array of the latest of any technology that hit the market. Doorbells that played tunes and rang endlessly every time there was a power interruption. Home security systems that regularly misfired, sending a god-like voice bellowing through the walls, “Halt! Exit the premises at once!!” And each time the alarm went off, the local police came around, much to the delight of our teenage daughter. The 90s were noisy!
We had phones that played Notre Dame’s fight song and, much later, laser systems that were programmed with seven separate commands to turn on the Christmas lights. They could blink, chase each other, change colors — anything but turn off when we wanted them to. A neighbor dryly told me that she was sure glad her bedroom didn’t face our driveway. Our home was not a great experience for anyone with sensory issues!
Meanwhile, my hubby enthusiastically set up technology to manage as many tasks as he possibly could. He was clearly enjoying his newfound hobby. Some of it I found useful, like the button that turned off all the house lights at night. Others, like the multiple WiFi boosters that were plugged into every possible outlet, leaving none free to operate a vacuum cleaner, was another discussion.
Once retirement was upon us, things really kicked into high gear. High definition TV, plasma screens, more Windows, devices telling corny jokes to each other, multiple remotes for every television in the house, and more channels than any human could possibly watch. So confusing! But for me, the most aggravating thing was hearing Siri tell me that I was getting mail from my sister and that it was most probably a birthday card. I felt like she was opening my mail!
The digital age has sped along and most of us have tried to keep up, some more successfully than others. I use a computer every day, and I know that the technology has truly enhanced my life. Well, enhanced may be a strong word, but I do know it has added a lot of useful value, entertainment, and noise! One really great thing about being married to a geek — he doesn’t seem to mind spending time fixing my many computer issues while I read my books — on my beloved Kindle — while listening to my playlist with earbuds and checking my email. Hmmm.
