a Technoramus by Choice

I don't own a smart phone. Once upon a time I made my living by being on the phone all day every day. Such a way of life results in efficiencies of time use that carry over into every other area of living. I no longer wish to spend one moment more than necessary speaking or listening to someone through the wire. And I don't want others to be able to have access to my attention at any time they choose, whether friend or solicitor. My time and space are sacred; do not enter without invitation!

I do like people, however, and sometimes even seek them out in the real world, and to a lesser degree through digital media... at my own discretion and beckoning. But undisturbed time and space are still my preferences for living moment to moment, day to day. So, that puts me in a shrinking minority and increasingly defines me as a relic in an expanding technological world. So be it. I retreat joyfully in peace.

People have become slaves to their smart phones and increasingly cannot live without them. Same thing with GPS - instead of being able to read a map and navigate on their own; they become helpless if the GPS goes down. The art of writing letters is another thing lost in the modern era - replaced with text messages and symbols that only resemble meaningful communication. I still write letters, so I am a relic. I write this blog to keep the juices flowing above my neck. When I stop writing, I stop thinking.

The less technology I require to take care of daily activities, the more freedom I have to live a happy, meaningful life. Plain and Simple. I refuse to be a slave to technology. Technology was designed to make life better. To that extent I do use some of it, selectively. A laptop is a great improvement over the old IBM Selectric typewriter. It would take too long to edit and correct all the mistakes I now make when I complain about what I don't like and reminisce about the things I do like. A laptop makes complaining so much more convenient.