Balance

 As in all things in life, moderation is key. It's a matter of claim whether any man in this age is truly free and most of the freedom we have lost over the past several decades is self-imposed. Many of the chains we carry in our daily lives were forged in technology.

My father was a visionary, predicting in the 60s that one day our television would come to our houses through wires and our telephones would be carried in our pockets. He worked for Ma Bell and spent time at the laboratory in upstate New York.  He knew what they were working on.  I'm old enough to remember when a telephone was something that hung on wall in the kitchen beside the refrigerator.

Nowadays, the cell phone is as ubiquitous as pants.  It has replaced the camera, the rolodex and the wrist watch.  In many cases it has replaced the television and the road map. There was a time when we could leave the house and be un-reachable until we returned, whether for an hour or a month. If you ran a business, you needed someone in the office to answer a phone.

The contractor who installed my new AC unit last week (and he did a great job) was on the phone several times during the installation.  It's a vital part of his business and I understand that. Times change, and people with it.

Cell technology has revolutionized modern culture, yet  I wonder sometimes if it is more a necessity or a leash. Call me a curmudgeon, but I refuse to be leashed.  It exists for my convenience and no one else's. There are times when I put it on the desk and walk away from it.  Maybe for an hour, maybe for all day.  If somone dies, I'll hear about it.  If it's important, I'll see the missed call or check the text.

Balance is important.