Before Apps Ruled The World

“In my day we didn’t have…”

Yes, I have come to that inevitable place of derision for the younger generation and all their “gizmos, gadgets and whosiwhatsit.”

And,

I DON’T CARE.  I am completely prepared to decend into the land of “bah humbug” when it comes to the ridiculous new, extraneous time sucking inventions of our current culture.

Remember when weather apps were called “windows?”  Or when you had to use a map that didn’t have a blinking dot indicating your current location?

A time when you had to look around and see where you were, to find where you are going.   The expanse of human history before little boxes ruled the world and captured all our free attention.

If you want, you can chalk this rant up to me not having an iPhone.  Ok, I have one (it was my dad’s) but I refuse to activate it for three reasons:

1) My old phone still works, even of multiple attempts by Isis to ‘make a call’ last year.   (I am sure now that I have jinxed it and it will stop working promptly.)

 

2) It will be more expensive than my current plan no matter how little ‘data’ I want.

3) I don’t need or WANT the internet on my phone.  All the ‘associates’ I have talked to about this look at me like I have five heads.  When I tell them that I only want to pay for it to text and call they retort “but you this is a smart phone.”   Always explaining this fact gently, using small words.

Like I might explode at any moment.

As if this reasoning will change my desire.  It is like saying “you have a whole bottle of vodka.  Why you only want a glass?”

Because I don’t want a information hang over, that’s why.

I have no desire to be hunched over a tiny box for large portions of my day instead of looking up and around at the things surrounding  me.  I have even less desire to be tracked everywhere I go by people who’s motives are unknown to me. (By the way that is what that little dot is doing, even when you are not using it to find the nearest coffee shop.) (( yes I know you can turn this off))

I do not need to be constantly connected to anything that is not within the reach of my hands.  Why would I forsake the living world around me for information that most of the time has absolutely no impact on my life.

I do not care who wore what at the last big event.

Or who won the last singing/dancing/cooking/surviving/goat catching (Ok, I would watch that one) contest.

When I think about the throngs of people living life bent over their laps I come back to the simple, sad fact- that we are missing so much more than we are gaining with these habits.

When you are chronically hunched you miss so much of the world’s original occurrences.  For example:

 

 

 

 

The experience may not always be streamlined or perfect but it is wholly singular.  Isn’t there some intangible value in that?  Shouldn’t there be?

I believe it is so and refuse to sacrifice my awareness for needless preoccupation with the trivial and superficial aspects of life.

I will try to keep my head up- except when hunting frogs and snakes.  We will get lost and go on unintentional adventures.

I know that we will find ourselves along the way and I know there is no app for that.

Be well and keep your head up.