These are the days...

One of the complaints that I received from my mother and sister on our trip was that I was too addicted to my telephone and laptop. First, the reception at the flat in Pimlico was excellent, but it was hard to use a small lap top or iphone for communication purposes. So, any communication I was having with anyone was taking a great deal of time. Secondly, my sister was using the laptop and iphone just as much as I was using mine.  Third, the reception at our hotel in Paris was only in the lobby. Even then...the service was less than stellar despite the money being charged and the location for that swanky hotel. My sister did have a good friend of hers who spent quite a bit during the day in our flat so she was busy talking to her. I had no friends to talk to. It was not my plan to invite friends on the adventure. Anyway, mom just did not get the iphone communication device, the apps, the free Skype access.  She's 78 years old of course she doesn't get it.  Yet, there I was getting all the grief for contacting my friends or spouse and children.  Must one criticize what one does not understand ? My daughter enjoys making movies with my flip camera and found her posting them on YouTube. Do I approve of this ? No, not really. So, I changed the settings and nobody can see them. I understand her fascination and her desire to use technology. I understand why people enjoy Facebook and Blogging. It's something new and different and although Facebook and Skype and other communications have been the downfall of  marriages, relationships and families it has done some good for a lot of people.  I am okay with that as long as you understand the risks involved and how smart one must be about using them.  Before all of this people would simply graduate from high school and college and never see their friends and companions again.  Now, it's possible to keep in touch with them.  It's a wonderful use for networking, finding jobs, building new and old friendships.  One gets to observe how their personal families and friends are growing. The announcements of new jobs or when babies are born. I think it's a wonderful thing. When a family or friend moves away out of state or out of the country it does not mean forever now. You can use Skype and call them and see them on your PC camera.  So, really "don't knock it until you try it".