Losing the Battle against Technology

I have always considered myself someone from a bygone era, and have resisted the trendy and ever changing

technology that permeates almost every aspect of 

American life. I have always cast a somewhat 

contemptuous eye at those that clamor for the latest 

and greatest electronic gadget. I have seen the hoards .

of overnight campers waiting in line to be the first to 

get the the newest iPad and have mocked their 

stupidity as I drove by in the warmth of my wagon 

of steel.

My Parents and my children are far more

technologically sophisticated than I am. They have 

iPhones, iPods, iPads,Tablets, Laptops and Flat 

Screen TV's.  I do not own a Flat Screen TV, a laptop

nor do I have a Tablet or an iPad.

I grew up in a house with Reel to Reel tape decks, 

Turntables and vinyl Albums. My first car had an 8 

track tape player. We had a phone on the wall in the 

kitchen with a very long cord, the only privacy 

afforded to your conversation was if you stretched 

the cord around the corner into the hall. We had a

party line ( a party line is when you have to share 

the phone line with your neighbors) when my family 

moved to a rural area during my sixth grade year. 

It is only in the past year that I have personally 

owned ANY device from Apple, INC because I never 

saw the need. I now have an iPod and and an iPhone. I got the iPhone when my other phone finally died after

4 years and it (the iPhone) was FREE. The iPod is a 

cast off from one of my children.

That being said, I love my iPod. It has a lifetime of 

music right at my finger tips and I can now listen to 

MY music in the truck without cases full of scratched

CD's in the center console or searching in vain for a 

broadcast radio station that plays music I like. I 

however do not own a pair of ear buds and I will 

never be caught with one in my ear and the other 

hanging down my shirt.

Here is my dilemma, I am already wishing I had a 

new phone. My "Smart" phone doesn't have enough 

memory for what I think I need, it is slower that I 

would like it to be, and it's applications don't perform as I would like them to. How the HELL can that even 

be possible? I carry in my pocket more technology 

than it took to send a man to the moon. Yet somehow 

it's not good enough for me?

I feel I have been infected with a disease engineered

by Steve Jobs (the Devil Himself) that creates an 

unattainable yet unresistible desire to have more and 

more technology weasel it's way into my life. I 

find myself wishing my electronic devices had mind 

reading capabilities and would anticipate what I 

wanted and simply do it without me having to input 

or say anything. (Read my text message to me, call my kids, send that email, enter items into one of the five

calendars that are merged on my phone, remind me 

what I need at the store, etc.) I think you get the 

picture.

I have found a way to at least quell the technology 

cravings in the short term. I switch my phone to mute

(my children may need to reach me),at least that is 

what I tell myself and  turn off the computer. I retreat to my office, grab a hardbound book from the bookcase 

that also holds a quill pen and ink set, an oil lamp and 

an Amish courting candle stick. I settle into the 

overstuffed  blue chair in the corner and read a little 

Whitman, Frost or L'Amour. I drift away  to the 

tick-tock and bird songs from the antique Cuckoo 

Clock hanging on the wall surrounded by relics from 

long ago.

For a few precious moments everything seems

right with the world.

Letter To Carson

At the request of my mother I am posting this letter that I wrote to my son while he was away at Recruit Training for the US US Naval Sea Cadet Corps.
                                                                                                                                                                                December 29, 2013
 　　
Dear Carson,

Into the life of every man, come a select few defining moments. Moments that he will be able to look back on and see, that they were pivotal in making him the man he has become. These moments may be such things as when he first meets his future bride, the birth of his children, selflessly serving others or perhaps following a dream.

I believe that you are in the midst of one of these moments. The things that you experience and learn during your time at Camp Pendleton, will provide you with a lifetime of memories. Savor every moment, push yourself harder than you ever have before, exceed every expectation. It is when men challenge themselves to push through the hardship, that they truly grow and learn what they are made of.

Immerse yourself in your surroundings, take advantage of every opportunity offered to you. The only limits to your ability are those that you impose upon yourself. If there is something you do not understand, speak up and ask questions at the appropriate time. Be willing to set aside your fears and try new things. Let this be your time to spread your wings and soar to new heights.

You carry the name of the bravest person I have ever known, that of my brother. He was strong in the face of adversity, never wavering. He was tender and meek towards those less advantaged, yet fierce against those that would do wrong to him or others. He was an Honorable and God loving man, and you do his name justice by carrying it forward. If he were here to give you some advice, I feel confident he would say, Honor those that went before you, extend a helping hand to all those that follow behind you, love God, Stand for Truth, fight for those who cannot fight for themselves, Be Humble, Be Generous and never make a decision based on if it is easy or not, but on if it is Right or not.

Your first family members to sail to these shores came in the 1600's, and they continued to come for generations from many different lands and cultures. They all sought the same thing, Freedom and a better way of life. They have all been Men and Women of Conscience that did what needed to be done, not through some external form of coercion, but because it was the Right thing to do. They were pioneers, unafraid to blaze new trails and settle new lands, often in extremely harsh conditions. From Connecticut to California, from Virginia to Oregon and everywhere in between. Their sacrifices helped build this great country. Be proud of who you are and where you came from.

You come from an extended family rich in the tradition of serving their country. Your forefathers have willingly served their country for nearly 250 years, from the War of Independence, the War of 1812, the War between the States and through most of the conflicts of the last Century. They have stood tall and answered the call. You Honor them through your service in the Sea Cadets.

Carson, I am so very proud of you and the exceptional young man that you are. The choices that you have recently been making, will serve you well throughout your life. I know you can and will achieve many wondrous things. Let your light shine Son, be that beacon in the night that others seek out. I am honored to be your father. You are one of MY DEFINING MOMENTS.

All my love,
Dad