Ah Technology

Many years ago, I was phased out of a job I enjoyed because of computerization. A few years after that, I returned to school for a Master's degree and walked out of there with a job: computerizing administrative systems for the University of Colorado Boulder - a job I held for close to 30 years. Oh the irony. But being much more of a people person than a "techie", I always tried to keep the human factor top of mind and, personally, stayed rather arms length from the latest and greatest of technology's tricks and glitz. Why use a machine when you can do math in your head? Why ask Alexa to turn out the lights when the light switch is right in front of you? Why convert from a flip phone to a smart phone when you just want a phone? (I actually finally switched this past spring when all of our work went remote and folks needed me to be able to check email and get out on the web from wherever and whenever.) All that said, this past week offers up glowing examples of the benefits of technology and how it has been a savior through this pandemic.

All week: the ability to work. The joy of face-to-face interaction with our co-workers is certainly missing, but at least the work is getting done.

Pre-COVID: Some of the gang -
ready to tackle anything & everything!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Post COVID: empty office

Post COVID: our lonely sloth

Wednesday: When our kids were young, Patti and I would run together every Saturday. (On the occasion of her 50th birthday, I wrote a little story about the power of a running friendship - "You Can't Fax a Friendship" - that included the factoid that, at that point in time, we had run 4959.2 miles together. That's a lot of miles, conversation, laughter, and life!) In recent years, our runs together have dwindled due to various reasons but we've gotten together for tea a few times a year. Until this past year. To remedy this, on Wednesday we had a zoom tea. Not quite the same but, as Kendall commented afterward, there sure was a lot of laughing coming out of the computer room!

Patti and I - finishing the 1985 Honolulu marathon.
Her youngest & my eldest were not quite one year old.
We were definitely running for fun.

Thursday: Sasha's birthday! And as I was running and Kendall was doing laundry and Paul was doing whatever people who teach math do, we got pinged from Portland and we all hopped onto a birthday Google meetup with Sasha. Again, not quite the same - no birthday hugs to pass around - but oh so fun to laugh and chat and join in on Sasha's birthday celebration!

Surprising me in Petoskey
as I finished my run from Boulder

Two days old and already we were captivated by each other.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Friday: Every Friday for the past several months, my cousin John and his wife and Kendall and I have had a cocktail hour (Michigan time) zoom call. And for a year when we can't be going out and about partying and visiting and adventuring, we sure do find a lot to talk about. John and I have been great friends our whole lives; a pandemic is not going to stop us now!

Up North, playing in the sand in 1954

John knocked on my front door early in the morning of my 60th birthday.
He had flown in from D.C. to surprise me for my 60k birthday run adventure.
The best present ever!

Up North, still playing in the sand - 2019

 

 

So, ja, technology can be way overdone but it has its place and I am oh so thankful we have a way to connect with friends and family and bring a bit of sunshine into our days.