Our society has gone mad. Mad as a Hatter I tell you. We live our lives managed and controlled by small handheld wireless devices that keep us connected to anything that is more than twenty feet away from us. And anything more than twenty feet away from us must be more interesting than what's immediately in front of us, isn't it? Gone are the days when we can sit at a restaurant and patiently wait for our lunch to arrive, passing time by glancing at other patrons and wondering if they looked in the mirror that day. Instead we turn to our wireless device and check for that all-important e-mail that is about to arrive. Or that voicemail message. Or breaking news. Or search for anything on Google. What have we become? If that weren't enough, it's a competition among the type of device. The latest obsession is the battle of the new Blackberry Storm versus the old Blackberry. Could it be better than the iPhone? Users of the traditional Blackberry models (with an old fashioned keyboard- GASP!) are having trouble adjusting to a flat screen touch model. I sense a case of iPhone envy. Blackberry users are trading up to the new Storm to be as sleek and stylish as those hip and trendy iPhone users. The makers of the Blackberry are no doubt envious of Apple's success from the iPhone. (or is it their shareholders?) You betcha. But with good reason-Apple has sold something like 5 zillion iPhones and it's still growing. I must admit, I am fascinated by it all. I have a Blackberry, mainly because it's a work device. But truth be told, if the choice were entirely mine, I would probably still use an old-fashioned Blackberry with the ever-so-ancient keyboard versus the new Blackberry Storm or iPhone. At least for now, that is unless I get abducted by Aliens and have my brain re-programmed to start liking advanced technology. In the meantime I'll stick with my regular old Blackberry fossil. I'll leave the new fangled stuff to the "early adopters" and modern folk, who understand the high-tech and other arcane matters. At least I don't use a typewriter to write this blog. 
above: the old-fashioned BlackBerry vs. the hip and trendy iPhone..who wins the battle? I'm not sure it really matters. What does matter is what's in front of you, so try to live in the moment. In the meantime, hang up your phone, turn off the handheld Internet device and pay attention to the waitress at the restaurant, the girl at the Starbucks drive-thru window, or your other half who is asking you a question.
-Rick Rockhill
8 comments:
well rick you know i love grace, my iphone! she is the greatest...
and i posted my tini shot for you.
smiles, bee
xxoxoxoxoxoxoxo
It has all passed me by, Rick....I used to be very Techno-Savvy...(6 VCR's, 2 DVD players, etc.....These phones and other devices are just to small and UNreadable for these old eyes...PLUS, they are too complicated for me at this point....!
What ever happened to just having a conversation with someone without having to check one's email, etc...It is NUTS, as you said.
My hubby is a gadget geek, and truth be told, on occasion I have had gadget envy. I have a Blackberry Pearl which is actually hubby's cast off (he traded up to a Curve after only having the Pearl for a few months), and while I love having access to my e-mail 24/7 (because so many people contact me via e-mail), I have to admit that I've been caught up in the Storm. Reading the reviews, however, have made me rethink my obsession, and I think I'll stay content with my Pearl and pay more attention to my hubby and kids.
Right on Rick! It's good to 'pause' - I am in favor of using technology to our advantage but taking every chance to live slowly when we can! Thanks for your reminder of what is important, happy thanksgiving!
W.O.T.E. said it very well. I love my iPhone, no doubt, but I love real life much, much more.
I own a Nokia phone which is just a phone. You can make calls or send text messages and that's it.
I don't want to be too available at all times ;)
I love gadgets but restrain myself by necessity. Years before the iPhone came out, I used to like playing with the rolling ball on a friend's Blackberry. I doubt I will ever need either gadget, though. I do love the large graphic screens out nowadays, but must make do with my thin little Samsung for calls, and my defunct UK Sony Ericsson K810i for camera and MP3 player. (Wish I'd had it unlocked before I left the UK!)
I was already contemplating a BLACKBERRY myself, but this post inspires me to stay away from these gadgets as long as possible. It's bad enough I can't live with INTERNET connection at home or work, and my cell phone, do I need to add these distractions too?
I'll stay as free as possible!
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