Changing Times

Last weekend we changed the clocks to spring forward one hour.

Spring.  Ha!  We'll see come March 20th. 

All the smart devices in le petit apartment adjusted with the time change automatically.  

One young person camping out in the living room requested that we relocate the analogue clock since its tick-tock-tick sounds keep him awake. 

I gladly moved it into my bedroom, swapping out one of the small paintings.  I like the tick-tock sounds as they remind me of the clocks back at the old Muskoka homestead and provide me with a sense of nostalgia while reminiscing about my dear late parents.  Of course, those clocks resided in hallways or dining rooms and not within a book's throw from one's bed.

Clocks provide a reminder of the measured seconds in our segmented mortal lives - or remind us when it is time to pause for short meditations throughout the busy day.  

Except for the digital clock radio, I keep the electronics in my bedroom to a minimum.   It's also a recommendation in order to maintain good Feng Shui.

A few evenings ago, I had to recharge three of the smart devices in my care.  I captured the following photograph with my iPad before plugging it in somewhere to charge its battery.  I later played with the image in Microsoft Word.

This represents my sentiment for a while with observing the new, smart technology that seems to distract people from real life conversations and social opportunities.  The new technology also seems to require a lot of updates, recharges and added protection.

I have been a hold-out for years with not wanting to own or not being able to afford a smart phone.  Well, I committed to one almost three months ago and am proud to say that I have not yet taken one selfie!  

I am getting hip with exchanging text messages with the kids and friends.

Within one week, I received my first telemarketer call. Ugh!  

This new gadget helps me check my email, news and bus schedules.  It lets me enlarge the font for the email app so I don't need to pull out my reading glasses.  I can also pinch and stretch web pages or images (similar to the iPad features).  

Heck, I could even view spreadsheets and edit basic documents with the SkyDrive apps. Microsoft has already changed that to OneDrive because of a lawsuit caused by their choice of names.

Does the immediacy offered by modern technology  cause us to make rushed decisions based on the need to keep up, to compete and one-up the other guys?
 

The smart phone camera has enabled me to take plenty of pics of bus stop observations, snowmageddon and resident cats as well using it to type short, poetic phrases on Twitter. 

Snowy spindly fractals dissecting my morning commute. pic.twitter.com/OkO9Lk83oa
— Theresa J (@tjamone) March 5, 2014

It was a quiet Sunday morning, purr-fect for napping in the sun, reflection or #writing whimsy http://t.co/CTXXXjW3Zv pic.twitter.com/NknpKuOfhS
— Theresa J (@tjamone) February 16, 2014

 
On a slightly related note, the World Wide Web turns 25 years old this month.  

Does it have enough funny cat pictures -

 - or funny cat videos?

I wonder as well if we have matured, if we will continue for the next few years to use the technology responsibly and in a collaborative manner for the common good. Ha!

What do you think? 


T