Springing forward

Pretty purple crocuses

One of these days, soon, I will be seeing crocuses in the yards and gardens around here, in the ground and not just in planters. Yes, spring is right around the corner. In fact, it's only ten days from now: Wednesday, March 20, at 2:58pm PDT. It's been a hard winter for many of us, and I look forward to the last of the icy patches being gone from our usual hiking and walking trails around town. Just yesterday, March 9, we had to change our usual walking destination to one less likely to cause anybody to get hurt trying to get some exercise. And we still encountered hard ice in shaded areas. We carefully made our way across without anybody slipping.

This morning I checked all our clocks to see if any of them didn't make the time change, and sure enough, one in the kitchen will probably need new batteries before it recognizes the change. Doesn't it seem like we just went through this? It's been four months, and I'm really beginning to think it's a waste of time, not to mention an hour of lost sleep, messing around with the clocks like this. Some places don't bother, and there is a movement afoot here in Washington State to stay on Daylight Saving Time year round. I'll vote for that.

We are in the midst of an astrological phenomenon known as Mercury Retrograde. Most people don't believe astrology is real, and especially something as esoteric as the apparent backward movement of a planet. But I've been fascinated by it for a long time, and I've paid attention to whether there really are more miscommunications and snafus during this time. Whether it's because I'm paying more close attention or not, things seem to break down more often during this period.

Our television lost its picture a couple of days ago. Hmmm. Although we still had sound, the picture was completely gone, so it was time to find a new one. These days, flat screen TVs are so cheap that it made no sense to try to repair it. Off we went to Costco yesterday to find a new one. For a few hundred dollars, we got another similar to what we had, and installed it in place of our old one. It works fine, but we'll keep the box it came in for a few days, just to be sure. We went from a 36-inch to a 43-inch screen, and although for some people that seems very small, for us it's just right. Now I need to figure out how to dispose of the old TV screen, since you cannot simply throw them into the trash.

Fortunately, looking online it was easy to find recycling centers nearby that will take our old TV. Apparently we can even take it to any Best Buy store for recycling. But it does make me think about how different our world is today. Just check google for information, and then look for what you want to recycle. How did I ever get by before I had this? Oh, right: telephone books and whatnot. You know, old school stuff. When was the last time you used a telephone book?

Need to check the weather? I pull out my cellphone and there it is, available at a glance. Some people even buy all their clothes and shoes online, using their computers instead of going to a store to shop. I myself like to see what I'm buying and try it on first, but I realize that's pretty old school for many people these days. Our world is way different today than it was even two decades ago. I read that there is only one Blockbuster store left; I remember when they were everywhere. Who rents movies any more? Now you just stream it onto your TV or computer. Some of us still go to movie theaters, but we are more the exception than the rule. Even new movies are available to stream pretty quickly after release.

I remember reading recently about two young men who were given a rotary phone and asked to make a call on it. Predictably, they had never even seen one in use, and couldn't quite figure out the dial. I remember when phones were connected to the wall and the concept of carrying one around in your pocket was science fiction. Much of our lives today seems that way to me, when I think back to the days when we didn't even have TV, much less all the other bells and whistles we take for granted today. In developing countries, cellphones are everywhere. While most people don't have smartphones, almost everybody everywhere has a mobile phone. This website tells of the changing world and how technology has the ability to lift people out of poverty. It's very inspiring to think that people who don't have access to educational opportunities are getting them through their mobile phones.

Mobile phones and tablets are bringing teachers to students in underserved regions like never before, thanks to dropping hardware costs. Rumie’s low-power tablets, pre-loaded with entire libraries, first got sent into action during the Ebola crisis, when schools in Liberia were shut down for months. 

There are many advantages to the technology of today's world. I feel very fortunate to have been around during this period of history. And I ponder what wonders will still become reality during my lifetime. I found this lovely quote from Steve Jobs:

Technology is nothing. What's important is that you have a faith in people, that they're basically good and smart, and if you give them tools, they'll do wonderful things with them. 

I believe that, too. As I sit here typing away on my laptop while still in bed before the sun comes up, I think about all the other electronic wonders that fill my life: that brand-new TV in our living room, the cellphone in my pocket, and the high-speed internet that connects me to the vast universe of information, giving me the opportunity to write this post and send it out into the blogosphere to be shared with all my virtual friends, all in the blink of an eye. Wow!

Well, it's getting later as I sit here, and I think about the day ahead. I will be going to the movies with my friend Judy and then sharing a meal at a local restaurant with her. But first there will be my morning gathering with my local coffee shop buddies. It's become such an important part of my day. Plus I've got a couple of books from the library to read, and a great partner to share my life with. I am indeed a fortunate person.

I will end this post with a wish for all of my dear readers: that you will take a few moments to appreciate all that you have been given, however much or little it might be, and that you will share your gratitude with your own loved ones. They might not even be on the planet any more, but they are still loved. Perhaps they are with us in ways we cannot fathom. In any event, I wish you all good things until we meet again next week.