Technology can be a wonderful thing, but some days I question whether or not it’s a good thing. This morning was one of those days.
I live in the country, by choice, and going to town is going to town. My husband travels for work quite a bit, so he’s not here much. I drive an old pickup truck (1993), by choice, and am aware of the potential for breakdowns at any time. So, I carry a cell phone with me.
And here’s where the story begins. Last night, late at night, while working in the studio on fiber postcards for the MQR exchange, my Bernina stopped working. As my cell phone was closest to me at the time, I called my husband on it to ask for advice. While we were talking I found the problem, thread around the flywheel, and started to unwind it. Got it fixed and back to work and stayed in the studio until around 2a.m.
Fast forward to this morning……I got up late, after a 2 a.m finish who wouldn’t…at 25 I could function on 4 hours sleep, at 35 I still could…..these days, just give me a minimum of 6, 7 is good, 8 is wonderful!!!! (I did mention I have a bad habit of being easily distracted didn’t I? But I digress, this morning I had to meet a customer in town. I got up, got ready, have her quilt packed, dogs taken care of and I’m ready to go…. wait, I can’t find my cell phone!!!!! Simple solution, call it and listen? Well, that doesn’t work when I set it to meeting mode on Tuesday night and never changed it back.
On my way into town without my cell phone, I found myself thinking extra carefully about how I was driving. I didn’t want to end up in a ditch somewhere, how would I call someone for help? I didn’t have my cell phone. On my way home, I found myself enjoying the drive and the scenery much more than normal….I wasn’t talking (with a headset only by the way) on the phone with family or friends. But, I came straight home, because I didn’t have my cell phone in case I broke down.
So, I ask, technology, is it a very good thing or a major distraction? Or can it be both at the same time?
Oh and when I got home, I called my husband, asked him what I was doing when I called him on my cell phone last night. I remembered I had called him on the cell last night, I just didn’t remember why or what I was doing at the time! (Did I say I have a short memory? LOL). He told me, I looked where he said I was (by the Bernina) and there sat my cell phone, plain as day!
Oh, I finished the postcards. The next time I go to town I will mail them, and I’ll finish shopping for my Secret Quilter exchange. And I might start my holiday shopping as well. I’ll be able to, I’ll have my cell phone with me in case I have vehicle trouble.
That’s a great story to contemplate. We do some funny things don’t we?!
ROTFL!!! Oh man.. I’ve been there….. and now my daughter only knows how to use the cell phone…
LOL!! Yeah, I agree – it can be both at the same time! Just to add to Jan’s comment – we have an old rotary phone in the garage, and keep it there in case the power goes out. It is the kind with the dial in the handset. When my son’s friends used to come over (when they were younger and didn’t have cell phones as they all do now) and used that phone, they’d pick it up and go “uhhhh, how do I use this???” Ya gotta be feeling old…..
Definitely both! I’m trying to stop using mine while in the car. Found I was making the “catch up” calls while driving – you know – oh, haven’t talked to so and so in a week – better call her – I’ll do that while I’m headed to …..kill two birds with one stone. yeah, right – I might kill more than that. And I’ve got to look into the headset.
i have definately been there done that! glad you found the phone and that your postcards are done. can’t wait to see what wonderfullies you created!
*gigglesnort* I had a fitting today and the girl was over the moon, handed me her cell to take a picture and….
The Technotard in me came roaring out of hiding. I felt so stoopid, just push here, push here, voila. Could I manage that without help????
Noooooooooo.:-)
Fortunately I don’t need bifocals to dial or see the screen or whatever, but all those little buttons… Well, they just plain scare me. Sorry, the part of me that just figured out how to hit send on an email without covering my head first is just convinced that I will hit Something Bad and next thing there will be a mushroom cloud where my house once was.
Of course, then the absent minded thing would kick in and I probably wouldn’t even remember that it was my house to begin with.
Yup, been there done that.
A couple of times, even.