old school

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the other day i went to my dermatologist who had recently moved offices and was requiring all existing patients to re-fill out their information for their new computer system. so in their valiant attempts to go completely paperless (i mean can’t blame an office for caring about mother earth, she seems to be quite cranky these days), i was asked to transcribe my vitals on an ipad. yep, an ipad. no clip boards or ball point pens, carbon paper or double sided forms, just my fingertip and teeny tiny boxes of which to sign my life away. and y’all, i realize i’m 27, not 77, but it took me FOR-EV-ER to fill that baby out in its entirety. between autocorrect inappropriately correcting rogue street names and comments under the “list allergies to medicines here” section and the “check here if you agree” boxes the size of a polka dot on the back of a ladybug (how specific, no?) suddenly the pages of hand-written paperwork didn’t seem half bad…

which got me thinking. though i don’t mean to be a traitor to my generation and all (ten points for whoever guesses that movie reference), i have to admit that there are still a few things about the 21st century that i prefer not to employ with regards to my every day life. oh gosh, please, i still have an iphone (the horror), but you know, there are some items that given the choice, i’d prefer to do old school.

like for instance, in terms of writing. i mean, yes, i am fortunate enough to own a laptop, but in all honesty it is most commonly utilized for facebook stalking (when lurking on the iphone just isn’t adequate enough) and online shopping. because though i love me some microsoft word, when i’m really getting serious about penning my thoughts, i turn to good old-fashioned pen and paper. to be specific, those black and white marbled composition books you probably had to journal in in 5th grade.

then there’s that whole not having a kindle thing. books. i like them. i hope to finally finish writing my own some day. i like to dog-ear pages, underline, and highlight text; to feel the pages between my fingers and smell that musty papery smell. i like lending them out to friends and family (as long as they return them) and then re-reading them again. and someday, perhaps, i’ll have enough to fill a big built-in bookshelf above my brick fire place.

the starbuck’s gold card. i know you love your starbuck’s app and how easy it is to simply scan your phone when it’s time to pay at the register for your double cappuccino, but you know what? i like my card thankyouverymuch. it has my name on it and everything. and it’s gold. and i love gold. 

oh and that leather pocketbook-looking thing with a guilded delta and gamma symbol imprinted on the cover that sits atop my kitchen counter, easily accessible at a moment’s notice? that’s just my checkbook. where i still write checks for my utilities bills. that’s right, no automatic payment withdrawal for this gal, i learned how to properly write a check in fourth grade and i’ve been perfecting my skills ever since. plus, i mean, i like to waste money on stamps, too.

i mean, duh i love technology (but not as much as you, you see), but in some aspects of life, i can’t help but to believe that simpler really is better.

so maybe i really am 77 and not 27. based on this and average bed time hour, you may have a point.

 

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2 Comments
  • nicole
    November 6, 2012

    clueless! kthanksi’mouttie

  • Teresa
    November 7, 2012

    Like you, I enjoy technology. And, like you, I enjoy paper. I don’t want to go back, but I certainly don’t want to have a future where every thought, word, and action is recorded in ‘clouds’. Paper gives me a sense of belonging… of comfort. So, my dear 27 year old niece, finish your book and people can choose to read it electronically, or cradle your deepest feelings in their hands as they turn each page.

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