Three Sisters

I had to bend over backward to point my camera into the downturned faces of the sisters, so heavy have their heads become. We loved them when they were golden, but we like their more introspective side too. Clever of nature to ensure that when the seeds ripen, they will loosen and fall straight to the ground to sprout again.

I have been thinking (yet again) about how difficult it sometimes is to keep up with the 21st century. I'm well aware of the advantages of technology, but having one foot in the pre-computer age both causes me problems and perhaps allows me to see the downsidess.

There is a loss of privacy and control. I have never written an email without assuming it could be read by someone other than the addressee.

There is an inability to fix things when they go wrong. It is sometimes actually planned. The extreme example is the Apple assumption that when the battery dies, you buy a new phone, because making the battery removable would spoil the sleek design. The simple reason is that my grasp of how the device works is so minimal, that I have no control when something goes wrong.

There is a total loss of personal connection. We speak of being more connected, but are we really? We can't even ask for help without dealing with an infuriating "menu" that sometimes seems designed to throw you into an endless loop that never results in a conversation with a human being, and never answers your question. Instant communication is great, but both parties have to be in on it. If we know who is contacting us, we don't have to respond. We wouldn't be getting all these unwanted calls and emails if there weren't some technology driven database somewhere that keeps track of us.

The younger generation certainly has a better handle on how things work, but they also seem completely accepting of all the ramifications of embracing new ways of doing things without questioning some of the results.

I think my logic here may be entering its own endless loop. Time for me to lift my head and join my real family who will be arriving soon-- in person.