Technology World

Some time in the late 1990s or early 2000s I bought two cell phones and set Wayne and me up with a cell phone company. I don't remember which one. Actually, I believe it was a 15-day free trial. I went for it because I thought it would be a handy thing for us.

But Wayne wanted nothing to do with a cell phone. Not sure why, maybe he didn't want to deal with learning the technology involved. Whatever the reason, he refused to use it, even once.

He was not a telephone person anyway.

So I took them both back. Hmm. Today I'd have to pay a $350 fee for stopping service early. Cell phone use for me had to wait a while. His never came.

I thought of this as I saw a young man walking along carrying his two pieces of essential technology: a cell phone in one hand and probably an iPod in the other. He had pockets in his shorts, but he carried these items in his hands. I suppose he would put one in a pocket when he needed to text someone. I use the word "needed" on purpose here and the word "essential" earlier because that is the way it is.

Digital, electronic, and probably newer terms I don't even know, these words and the things they represent have become essential to us. We need them, and some of us need to text someone at least 100 times a day.

I'm not poking fun, you know, although I do not text--or at least I have not as yet. I'm just saying it is the truth, because I have to admit that being without my cell phone service for 24+ hours was beyond inconvenient. It was the eve of my birthday and my actual birthday--and I had no phone. Couldn't make calls, couldn't receive calls. Therefore, I missed calls. Bummer.

I used to say I'd like to go back to the time when you left your house and thought absolutely nothing of leaving your phone in it. If someone called, you missed it. No big deal.

Today is different.

Wayne, however, never knew about it. He died in 2003, before this enormous techno takeover.