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Food for thought ...

When I was in elementary school, playing Oregon Trail on an Apple computer in the school's computer lab was a real treat.  I learned how to answer the family phone with a polite "Hello, Ridder's - this is Emily" which became more important as all of our voices (even Josh's for a bit) sounded very similar (minus Dad's voice which was pretty distinct :)).  I remember running to the answering machine after being out for awhile to see if there were any messages and I remember taking down those messages to pass along.

When I was in Junior High, my parents purchased dial-up 'minutes' through AOL and every time one of us (EMRID) logged onto the World Wide Web, the minutes were being deducted from the family account (whoops - I know I cost my parents some money back in the day for going 'over' our minutes - sorry Mom and Dad!).  My time on the computer was limited by those bills and I didn't know any different.

In high school, it was a requirement that we type up our papers, but most of my work in class was done by hand and only final drafts submitted in type.  I also communicated over telephone land-lines (968-0592 any one?!) and hand written notes passed in the hallways with my friends.  The occasional AIM chat definitely happened but the majority of my communication with friends and people did NOT happen over the computer (yet).  I had several friends' home phone numbers memorized at any given time as well as the family calling card number (purchased from Sam's Club).  It was a huge deal when I was given my own 'land line' (which I would pay for monthly) in my bedroom downstairs - the number is escaping me right now.  My parents purchased a 'car phone' (cell phone) to be used ONLY in the car in case of an emergency (or in my case, when I was running late and wouldn't make my curfew).  It was large and in charge ... my mom still has that number though!  When I graduated from high school, my mom encouraged me to use some of my graduation money to purchase a nice canon camera.  She told me I wouldn't regret having a good camera to capture the memories to come - she was totally right!

College for me was still fairly technologically void (compared to life today).   I was persuaded to get a desk top because thefts of lap tops were too risky and there was no real way to secure a lap top when out of the dorm (HA!).  I had voice mail and a phone number but they were connected to my dorm room phone, not a cell phone.  AIM conversations continued and became more prevalent as I was away from many of my high school friends - it was a good way to keep in touch.  I still received snail mail, hand written letters and care packages regularly at my P.O. Box (1777).  Email became more prominent as a communication tool during my college years but don't worry ...  (gasp) Facebook was still not in existence!  I turned my camera film into the school book store to get it developed and always anticipated picking up the envelope to see what images turned out and would be treasured.  I did purchase my first cell phone through TMobile when my parents gifted me a car to have  at college and I still have that same phone number.  The cell phone's main purpose was for emergencies when driving still, very little other communication happened on it besides calls to home because I don't think I had an unlimited national calling plan at the time.  As a graduation gift from college, my parents bought me my first digital camera to capture events such as my wedding, honeymoon and other great 'firsts' of married life during the summer of 2004.

I joined facebook back in 2005 when you had to have a current .edu address to gain access to the (what we now call) 'social media network'.  Since then, social media has literally exploded (in an almost atomic bomb like way) and changed the way I relate to people, connect with people and it's even developed a unique vocabulary.  Skype, chat, 'I'll message you' ... we've turned nouns into verbs and words into abbreviations (LOL or brb?!).  My cell phone is now my primary phone.  We don't have a land line (although that could change as our kids get older).  I text more often than I call.  I email and type more often than I hand write anything.  I rarely use a stamp to send something other than a bill in the mail and I know even that is old fashioned but I still really like writing out checks.  I can video call you and most computers now come with a built-in webcam (no longer something to be purchased separately and installed).  So much has changed from video/file sharing to privacy laws always needing to be reviewed.  Keeping up with the latest models of each new gadget can be mind-numbing.  I now read 50% of my books on my NookColor (and honestly I love it).  Blogging is a word that means something to many of us.  We are in the dark ages and don't have cable OR smart phones and I know how rare that is these days.  The neck breaking pace at which technology is constantly changing makes me a little dizzy at times.

HOWEVER ... in our 'new normal' state, I am so very thankful for the invention of things like Skype and Facebook and email and texting and unlimited long distance calling plans.  I take comfort in these communication tools because even though many of our loved ones are miles away, they can be welcomed into our kitchen to chat with my almost naked 3 year old before he goes to bed or while he's eating his grilled cheese lunch.  How amazing that my grandparents, sister, bro-in-law, dad, kg in MI and friend in Portugal 'met' Luke over Skype!  I can share pictures and status updates that give a peek into our lives with the many many friends and family who care about us and pray for us often.  I can text a question to a friend and know they will respond as soon as they are able.  I can take 1000s of pictures and not have to worry about the cost of developing them.    While I know technology use still needs to be kept in balance with the rest of life and we are constantly discussing appropriate 'screen time' amounts in our home, there are definite advantages to our technology advances and I am thankful for how technology helps the miles not feel so far on days when I'm adjusting to my 'new normal' and would just really like a back scratch from my Mom or a hug from my Dad.