I feel quite
proud that I could set it up [the radio] without trouble . . .
Ina
Dobson to Vance on setting up the radio, December 1935
I
didn’t know Grandma Ina well. She passed away when I was seven without the two
of us ever having a good conversation. Therefore, I seek for her in her
writings, and sometimes I find affinity through the smallest statement -- like the
one above.
From
time to time Mike and I had discussed advancing our technological experience.
We weren’t really interested, we agreed. It had gone far enough, we averred. We
didn’t even like what we saw of technological advances and what would we do
with these devices anyway? Furthermore, we just plain didn’t want to take it
on, and why should we? Still, we would conclude, what was going to happen to us
if we didn’t at least try to keep up?
Then
Mike decided, with seeming suddenness, that he wanted an iPhone. Now – Mike and
I are barely members of the cell phone generation. We were raised when the
telephone meant a place, not a person, and we haven’t coped well with the
transition. I will leave my cell on the coffee table when I go to the store.
And if it does make it into my purse, it’s liable to stay there for two weeks.
It’s mostly okay because it mostly never rings. “Oh look at that – I missed a
call two weeks ago,” I’ll say when I finally think to check.
Anyway,
during our pre-Christmas celebration, Hallie helped Mike order his iPhone. They
said it might be delivered Christmas Eve, and that meant leaving the Christmas tree
at the farmhouse and dashing back to town, but at least we were rewarded for
that. FedEx delivered the iPhone that afternoon.
Yes,
I admit it. I was slightly irked that Mike was getting this great thing at
Christmastime even though the iPhone really wasn’t his Christmas gift. Or was
it? And anyway, I reminded myself, I have plenty – everything I want and more –
but it still felt like Mike got a great present and I didn’t. “Well, I’m not
looking forward to it,” Mike responded when this spoiled girl whined. “It’s
going to be a lot of frustration setting it up.” And indeed he had some
frustration but mainly because he had to work through issues related to keeping
his old cell number. Once those were resolved, I observed that he was indeed
having fun. He loves his new toy – er, phone.
“So,”
I found myself saying, “I think I should have an iPad.” And Mike readily concurred. Perhaps he realized he was not in a position to argue. This time
we gave daughter Hallie a break and approached son Yancey, who took care of
ordering on my behalf. (I'm really not so helpless that I couldn't buy it myself, but Yancey works for Apple.)
My
iPad came last week, and I quickly connected and started visiting the app
store. I bought a book for my digital library. Then I subscribed to a quilting magazine
that promised me a free digital edition. I bookmarked some favorite websites.
Every day I work with my iPad. Probably the best app I’ve found so far is the
recipe program. Finally, the iPad seems to be the right scenario for the
digitization of my recipes. Eventually I’ll eliminate that envelope I’ve been
carrying back and forth to the farm for years. And it’s so convenient to set the
iPad on the kitchen counter and read the recipe from the screen.
And
so, I say with Ina, “I feel quite proud that I could set it up without
trouble.” I know exactly how she felt – the satisfaction of
having stepped into today’s world and actually coped.
“Tune
in and hear Byrd talk,” said Ina.
“Have
you seen this app?” says Kathy. KW
6 comments:
Oh, such a good post--I had to read it aloud to Dan (with appropriate emphasis in the correct places)! I said, "Look at that! Kathy has an iPad and is doing all sorts of things." He handed me his and said, "Have at it." I said, "I can't--it's yours, your birthday present. If I used it, it would take away from that!" He rolled his eyes and went back to reading his western.
Oh Chris! I'm laughing yet -- because if someone took the iPad away today, I wouldn't miss it. Yancey told me it would be that way for a while but if I kept working with it, I would see how I can use it and it will eventually become indispensable. That has yet to happen, but the recipes are a start. We'll see . . .
We're planning to fly to Philadelphia in the spring and then drive from there to S. Car. and on to Memphis, then fly back home. The laptop will stay at home but I'll have connection through the iPad.
Mike thinks his iPhone is really more practical. He enjoys scanning bar codes for nutritional info on our packaged foods, listening to internet radio, and making calls through voice commands. He has downloaded a couple of books, but I'd rather read from the iPad screen than the iPhone.
I'm going to get a blue-tooth keyboard,and I think that will make it more useful. Perhaps I'll carry the iPad to the farm instead of my laptop on short trips.
I have a lot of questions and could benefit by a session with my daughter. . .
Poke around with Dan's iPad. Visit the app store and download a few apps. You can always delete them.
The really discouraging part is that Daniel can turn on Eric's iPad and get to the apps before he even turned two. He loved to watch Chicka Chicka Boom Boom on it before it disappeared from the internet (probably because of copywrite violations).
I will admit that when we were at John's last fall I did use Dan's iPad quite a bit, but now I can't even remember how it works.
Rule #1 -- Don't let it discourage you. Our grandchildren were born to the electronic age. You know what they say -- If you don't understand your electronics, don't read the manual -- enlist the aid of a kid. My guess is that Daniel or his older brothers would love to show you.
Try playing around with it when you aren't apt to feel you're wasting time -- like while you're watching tv, for instance.
Congratulations, Kathy. Do you have any particular time you have the iPad on? I can call you on my iMac and we can visit face to face on FaceTime. What is your URL address for the iPad?
We, too have the iMac and iPhone. It is great to keep in contact with our families.
Yeah! Kathy. I too got an iPad after 'tP' got his smart phone. We can't use an iPhone up here because of the poor reception from the carriers that use iPhones, but his smart phone does fine, & is similar.
I use my iPad for reading books - you can get them free through the local library! And I store knitting patterns on it - very handy for that. I never thought of recipes - I'll have to look inot that.
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