SUBJECT : THE NEW TECHNOLOGY.

Must I ?
                   I realize now, it was a privilege to be a kid, growing up in the fifties.  Back then, a family could consist of upwards of eight children so there was always someone to play with.  On our block, hide and seek was the big thing, and most nights we stayed out until well after dark.  I don't remember having any fears then.  It was a carefree less stressful time.  It was before the computer.
                
                   When the sixties came along, everything changed.  Man was going to the moon.  With that, came news of robots; and not just in outer space.  Broadcasters were predicting that before long, these mechanical people would take the place of humans on the job.
                
                    In came the seventies and out went the World Book Encyclopedia.  The computer had arrived, and no one, not even a stay-at-home mom like me could hide from it.  One day, I remember I was at the market, second in line waiting to pay, when I over heard the cashier say "I'm sorry, I can't run your card.  The computer is down."  When my turn came, I placed the exact change on the counter.  "The drawer won't open," she said.  "I can't even figure the tax ."  No problem, I assured her, "I figured the tax in my head."  As for the drawer, I refrained from saying "Over in aisle six there's a Fisher-Price Cash Register, batteries included, that works like a champ."  Instead I just said, "Be a sweetie and hand me my bag."

                   There's one invention I did actually like --- the cordless phone.  Having one of these new devices meant that I could now throw in a wash and order a pizza simultaneously.  Other than that, life at our house remained uneventful........ or at least until we got the word processor.  For the first time, my daughter was enjoying her homework!  It was then that I began to feel guilty.  Why was I so afraid of Progress?  Could all this new technology really be a good thing?  NOT TODAY!  Before I could apologize for being such a skeptic, my little girl accidentally kicked the plug, disconnecting it from the outlet.  Her school report was gone.  I know I spoke for the entire family, and the dog, when I wrapped my arms around her and whispered "Please stop screaming."

                   It's 2011 now, and I'm still writing letters the old fashioned way.  I guess I enjoy a trip to the post office as much as I do the supermarket.  Don't get me wrong.  I've come a LONG way.  I do own a cell phone, feel right at home at the ATM and find myself gasping when I misplace the remote for my flat-screen T.V.  Would I consider a computer in the future?  I don't know.  I'd much rather have a robot that could take out the trash.