We've Come a Long Way from Pong..But I Liked Pong

I blame the age of Atari for the technology age. We are the future we dreamed about while playing Pong. I'm still not comfortable with it even though it seems the way of life these days. Every time I look up...noone else is. Everyone, including myself, seems bowed in technology instead of bowed in prayer or meditation. To look someone in the eye while speaking is a treat. Driving has become the multi-task accomplishment of this generation. People reading, talking, and typing on their cell phones. Next time you drive..look around at the stop lights. I bet 3 out of 5 are doing what really should be categorized as a drunk driving analogy. Would I be exaggerating if I felt we are probably not too far away from our own Avatar technological selves? Maybe..maybe not. The irony is I use technology it seems religiously. When I gripe and complain about changes or enhancements in social networking or cell phones, I'm not dissing the advancements made, I'm grieving the personal touches we are leaving behind. There's something unnatural about my emotions and close friends being categorized by algorithms. While my children will find that virtual hugs and communications are something worthwhile, there is still a part of me that finds the sharing in a techie world a bit impersonal. Isn't that the way we like things though? This way we don't really have to expose our "true feelings" because the computer does it for us...it's really not us. Don't be fooled. You're exposing more of yourself in the guise of an imaginary protective shield you think is the internet/cell phone. Bottom line...there's a part of me that wants to run away from all the gadgets, news feeds, cell phones. etc. but then there's the other side that is attracted to it all in the same way. Do I feel more "connected" with people in the techie world? Hmm...I feel that I can get more information faster but relationship wise...no, can't say that I'm closer with people...just maybe that I know more about them from what we share. Seems there's a learning curve in all of this. I don't plan on dropping out of social networking and nor do I plan on chunking my cell phone in the ocean. It does give me pause in wondering how we can preserve intrapersonal communications though. The things that give me hope....teaching a grandma how to use a social network once at her hesitation just so she could keep up with what her grandkids were doing. There was something nice about that but the flip side is...those grandkids need to pick up the phone and call their grandma once in awhile also.

Raspberry Beret and a Lucky Parakeet

The first MTV video I ever remember seeing was, "Mickey" by Toni Basil. "Oh Mickey you're so fine....Hey Mickey!" We didn't have cable so I would usually catch the MTV hysteria at friends homes. Once, when I was in the fourth grade I was hanging out with a friend and we were so excited to watch Prince's "Raspberry Beret" video on MTV. We were singing and dancing along like we silly girls do while her parakeet was screeching in the background to it's own little rhythm. She went to the cage and said, "Hey, let's let him out....to fly around the house for a little." Bewildered, I thought, "Ok, well, that sounds fun...how cute that would be!" The little bird was flying away around the room as we giggled and then in slow motion there went the parakeet into the ceiling fan and around around it went and thudded against the wall. Oh, Dear!! I am the last person on earth who would know anything about parakeet CPR or first aid. My friend and I panicked and rushed to the little bird. Poor parakeet but,....it lived! We were so relieved that it didn't look or act hurt! My friend gently put the bird back in the cage...it began tweeting again and with a sigh of relief we could enjoy all that was Purple Rain and Raspberry again. I cannot listen to Raspberry Beret without it taking me back to the parakeet adventure. We all have our songs, don't we?