Gayler Family Updates: The Lost Telephone

Matt went for a workout while Zoe and Eli were napping. Ian has been enthralled with his many different sets of cards this afternoon, and found his way to the bed to share them with me.

His chosen deck was "I Spy, Snap." These cards have items from the "I Spy" series in sets of 4, strewn about different parts of a hidden picture puzzle. We lost the card with the directions to play the actual game ages ago. It doesn't matter anyway, as we rarely play the intended game. I think most times we've pulled them out, we've invented a new one.

Today's game was...(thinking of a good name)..."Show and Tell." You find matching cards in the deck, but to "earn" the matches, you have to tell something about the item on the card.

Example: (Sorting through deck and finding horse card). "Horse starts with H." (Get 1 card).

(Find 2nd horse card). "Horses say neigh!" (Get 2nd card).

(Find 3rd card). "Horses are my favorite animal!" (Get 3rd card)....and I think you get the idea.

One of the cards threw Ian for a loop.

"Alexander Graham Bell made the first call on a telephone in the United States," I said, and eagerly reached for my telephone card. (I'm so smart, aren't I?).

"No, Mom. That's a CELL phone," he corrected me.

I'll save our discussion about the differences between "land lines" and "cell phones," but I'm doubtful if he gets the concept. Our house phone is cordless, so to him, all phones seem rather portable.

This had me thinking about an article (click here to read) I saw a while back about technology our children won't see in their generation. Cassette tapes, that annoying modem connecting noise, the yellow pages, travel agents...these are all things gradually being replaced by new technology.

So, why would the corded telephone be a big deal?

-It's becoming less and less important to be able to remember anyone's phone number. When you can store them on your cell phone, do you really need to remember it?

-The concept of being "unreachable" is becoming harder to fathom. It shouldn't take a trip 50 miles into the woods to get some space from phone calls. There's no shame in being "unplugged."

-You always knowing who is calling you. Sure, there are some exceptions, but wasn't there a certain kind of fun in wondering who was calling you before you picked up? Either you were accessible to everyone (including crazy Aunt Myrtle), or you weren't talking at the moment. Hmm...

-Texting didn't exist. I love texting, don't get me wrong, but the purists have a good argument. Isn't there something to be said for even brief actual exchanges between two real voices?

With all these losses, my brain went into "positive spin" overdrive. I don't want to be the bitter old lady in the nursing home crying about how technology has ruined our values. And, you know what? The only way to combat that is to decide immediately to combat the negative thoughts...and teach them to this future cell-phone carrying human.

So, Ian...here's what I'm going to teach you, even though cell phones are taking over the world:

-Your phone number. I still remember my first phone number. Getting in the habit of memorizing strings of numbers is very helpful in life, after all.

-The power of a self-imposed "Dead Zone." My cell phone may get reception nearly everywhere, but I'm going to stop being a slave to it. Yes, it starts with ME. If I'm not always attached to my phone, that's a powerful example of how life moves on regardless of cell reception.

-Screening time instead of people. I'll admit, this is a switch for me, but I think a good one. It's easy to find yourself in one conversation after another with all the people you want to talk to...but have you noticed how quickly time goes by? I'm keeping an eye on you, clock.

-Using my voice. I'll talk to people more often, even if it's briefly, and about a little thing. I love to hear my friends voices!

My favorite part of having a cell phone is the programmed phone numbers, and all my friends at my fingertips. But, I have one very important reminder stuck in there.

Telephone, cell phone, satellite phone, internet phone...they could all be lost, but my most important line of communication doesn't require any of that. :)