Technology is Wonderful

Technology is a wonderful thing. It affects every aspect of our lives. We curse it when it works against us and we praise it when it works for us. Take a few minutes to think about and to list the ways that technology works against you and the ways it works for you. That is what I did a few days ago. I was amazed.

I could go on for days about the pros and cons, but the title of this blog is "Technology is Wonderful". I will tell you some wonderful things that you may take for granted.

I live close to my father and my cousin lives close to her mother, his sister. We live in Nevada and they live in Texas. Dad and my Aunt will never again sit across the table from one another and just talk. Neither is really able to travel. But thanks to technology, they were able to have a conversation face to face using the web cam. My two stepsons and my nephew are overseas with the military. They are in places where they are not exactly safe. But thanks to computers we can open the web cam and see the boys and reassure ourselves that they are well. Isn't that wonderfully amazing!

I speak publicly to help support epilepsy awareness. Before each engagement, I have a practice run through with my speaking coach. My coach is in Virginia and I am in Nevada. We use the web cam so that she can watch my facial expressions and body language. It is a real benefit.

Epilepsy is a condition that affects each person differently. The effect depends on the area of the brain involved in seizures. I have right temporal lobe epilepsy and it affects my memory. Thanks to technology I have a Palm to jot notes in and to keep track of my contacts and appointments. I also have a cell phone that I carry with me so that if I get lost, run into problems or have a seizure, I can call my husband.

Ten years ago I got my first cell phone when my Mother was terminally ill and needed to be able to get in touch with me at anytime. Before the mid to late 1990's most people didn't have access to a cell phone.

My husband works and attends college. Some of his classes are taken on the internet. This saves money that he would spend on gas to and from the campus. It also saves time. The internet classes are flexible enough that you can complete the coursework no matter what your schedule is like.

Yes there are problems. There are people who use a Bluetooth that continue to speak on the phone while conducting business at the bank, grocery store, or other business. They don't think they are being rude. Some people who talk on the phone while driving cause accidents. And there are other examples that I choose not to list.

But in the long run, I have to say it again, "Technology is a wonderful thing".