STONE AGE TECHNOLOGY: IT’S REALLY WHAT WE GET USED TO

A series of essays....

THIS SHOWER CURTAIN HAS POCKETS FOR EVERY PHONE AND TABLET!

Credit: Davison Video


....as seen through my eyes!






 
By: Jacqueline E. Hughes

I will be the first one to tell you that my cell phone is nearby me at all times, just in case someone calls or there happens to be an emergency. My i-Pad can be located either ‘at my fingertips’ (literally), on my desk, or on the end table that resides by my comfy corner of the leather couch where most of my Blog Posts are written. Most importantly, I am rarely seen without the current book I happen to be reading, whether in hard-bound or paperback form. And, I have been known to panic if it has been left behind for some unknown reason, even when making a visit to the dentist's office or to and from the grocery store only blocks away from the house!

Books are my life; books are that important to me! Consequently, when given the opportunity to lessen the inevitable ‘load’ of books we will be hauling up to Michigan in the next several months, I jumped on the bandwagon and filled as many boxes with my precious paper companions as possible. Dan, carefully, stacked them in the U-Haul trailer we pulled up to the ‘little yellow cottage’ on Hazel Avenue last weekend. 

Standing in our library in Orlando before leaving, I knew I’d only made a slight dent in the inventory that resides in that one room alone....and, still remained to be carefully nestled in their own cardboard carrying cases for the journey yet to come.

ONE BOOK AT A TIME....

I have written several previous stories about sitting across from strangers in the waiting area of a local restaurant where no one is communicating with one another via verbal discourse. My subjects have included a family of three and an unrelated young couple who may have been out on a Saturday evening date. Rather, the various devices held in their hands, with heads bowed in prayer to the gods of technology, were being revered as hymnals in the innocent hands of the choir section during Saturday evening mass. No one said a word to anybody for at least ten to fifteen minutes before the host appeared to say that their tables were ready. With a shuffle and/or bow they marched off to tables that would, probably, afford them a convenient resting place for their devices before their meals had a chance to arrive. 

"STRIKE A POSE"

Having visited the dentist every six months for more years than I care to count, toothbrushes appear to procreate and find shelter within various drawers, cubbies, and hidden spots throughout the house! Often, before I could say ‘no’ to the token of gratitude offered by the dental hygienist for not biting off one of her fingers, the colorful, bristled stick had already been inserted into a small plastic bag (displaying a larger than life picture of a sparkling, white tooth) where it played nice next to the dental floss and travel-sized tube of Crest toothpaste and ice blue mouthwash.

A few times, when I needed to get back into a very tight spot (behind faucets) to thoroughly clean, I’ve been known to wrangle one of these plastic treasures for the job! The color I would choose depended upon the mood I was in at the time and a white brush with vibrant lime green racing stripes might be just the ticket to a successful cleaning mission. 

Of course, this all came about due to the advent of the mighty ‘electric’ toothbrush that swirled and shimmied its way into our lives and mouths. The dentist relayed how they cleaned better than hand-brushing had ever cleaned, the gums were pinker and so much happier and more stimulated. The obnoxiously straight, white toothy smile on the dentist’s face grew larger and larger as many of his patients fell into a precision step on their way to purchase this exotic new device offered for sale, conveniently, right there in his office! Cha-Ching! 

We were hooked! I am certain that you have been hooked, as well. And, why not? They do a great job with minimum effort and, if you replace the head often, you will be the proud owner of this amazing unit for years and years to come.

Having shared our lives between two residences for the past three years, we found it necessary to purchase yet another electric toothbrush set so as to enjoy its adeptness while occupying either location. Cha-Ching! Oh, but quite necessary by this time. 

Our sincere appreciation to Costco for making this dual purchase as light on the pocketbook as possible! Sorry, Doctor.

While packing-up our cosmetic bag for this trip, the practical side of me wondered about the most convenient way to brush my teeth at the motel we planned to stay at in order to break-up our lengthy drive. I opted to dig into the handy-dandy, manual toothbrush drawer to handle the job. We, certainly, didn’t require two sets of electric toothbrushes up in Michigan for the duration and this was the best solution.

Now comes the sad story of ‘it’s all about what you get used to.’  I felt like a bumbling character right out of a Stone Age cartoon that hoped shoving a stick inside of her mouth would eradicate the particles of fruits, nuts, fish bones, and grasses that had lodged between her teeth at dinner. Instantly, I discovered that I’d lost the ability to believe that hand-brushing my teeth even worked in the first place or, would ever work again. Dan, harboring similar feelings, and I could only laugh at this instant revelation. 

Ah, the wonders of technology! These two experiences, the one in the restaurant foyer and the attempt to manually brush my own teeth in the motel, helped me better understand this thought: You can’t always live with it (technology), and, it's becoming very difficult to live without it.

And then I saw this advertisement on social media this morning. This one blew my toothbrush story right out of the water! 

If sex sells, well.....this little item, coupled with the prospect of a naked woman in the shower, is a sure winner. First of all, I must ask, how long does anyone plan on staying in a shower before becoming mummified? Now, add the actual productive device time you might have while taking that shower. Factor in the wastefulness of running the water for a lengthy amount of time. And then, please tell me how many of you would purchase a pocketed shower curtain that is guaranteed to hold, not one, not two, not three, but up to four tech devices in its multi-sized, mostly waterproof pouches for your enjoyment and elongated pleasure??? Party time!

I will live a long, full, and happy lifetime before I’d ever care about meeting the individual(s) who came up with this concept, no matter how much money he (they) will, eventually, make from it. And, sadly, they will make lots of money....

As we all remain in the state of 'Modern Day Limbo’ while learning how to survive its productiveness, as well as its pitfalls, we must, also, learn to embrace technology with logic and common sense. It's important to discover each day what is good for, not only ourselves as individuals but, the world and the environment in which we all live. When that happy balance of ‘all things possible’ leads us into a space where the common denominator is ‘productive reasoning,’ rather than anti-social behavior, then life is striking a positive balance. Embrace it!

Copyright © 2018 by Jacqueline E. Hughes

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