THE PEN IS MIGHTIER THAN ............!

Although technology is running rampant, and whilst no one really wants to be taken over by a robot, no one wants to be left behind, there is something to be said for the 'written word', or even old fashioned (not by my standards) pen and paper!  I apologise now, if this post is somewhat 'deep', rather than amusing, although I am sure there are some that will see the humour, if somewhat cynical.  The older I get, the more I laugh at the inability of youth, and the naivety of the old!  (I include myself in the latter, despite not being really ancient!)

There was I, ready to go for a swim, when I received a text.  Not a phone call, not a letter, but a text.  My neighbour had misplaced her cat.  It is a 'house cat'.  She wondered if we still had a community newsletter.  Unfortunately, the newsletter required too much work and no one wanted to take it on. It would have been within the parameters of my fortes to create a newsletter, but time would not allow.  I informed my neighbour that whilst we did not have a community newsletter, we did have a network.  I was in the water with two people who were quite proficient with the network, and if I could have a picture, maybe they could help.  One lady saw the picture and told me that she had seen it on 'next door'.  Actually, she said she had seen the cat in a garden in the surrounding neighbourhood in the morning.  I presumed she meant physically, but it transpired, she meant on-line.  I also texted another neighbour, who has animals and is familiar with methods to find runaways!  I put the two women in touch with each other, and pretty soon, there was a post on 'next door', and the photo had been distributed through various social media outlets.  

The afternoon was glorious.  I chatted to a couple of neighbours about The Beatles, and how the new genre of music changed the world. One of them was reading a book, regarding John and Paul, of said band, and there were several elements about which he had no clue, whilst his lady friend, having been virtually reared by an older sister, was very acquainted.  As I was brought up in England, during the sixties, there was no avoiding the 'Mersey Beat' as it was known. We commiserated over lost youth, and discussed the new generation and their inability to understand life without hand-helds.  Talking about the difference between being brought up in the USA and England was quite animated, and the candor about our life experiences was quite interesting.  We agreed that we would not want to be 'young' again, if it meant having to grow up with today's generation!  

I read for a while.  A book.  I did not read on my phone, on a tablet, nor did I listen to a 'podcast'.  I read! Typed paper pages!  I am such a rebel!  So old-fashioned.  Yet, to me, there is nothing more satisfying than turning over the last leaf and closing the back cover over the multitude of pages.  

As I left the patio, I saw my neighbour who had misplaced her kitty.  She had been around the neighbourhood and posted notices on all the surrounding trees, etc., and had done the same on our dumpsters, so far to no avail.  

At around seven, I received a text, not a phone call, not a letter, from my neighbour to say that the cat had been found.  Despite the powers of the Internet, the various 'apps' used to convey the messages, texts and other modern day helps, the animal was retrieved when her next door neighbour saw the hand written (not typed, nor computer generated) note on the dumpster, and knocked on her door.  The cat had been, apparently, sitting very still under a car, all day.  Presumably overwhelmed at being outside, she had stayed put, with the owners of the car, not daring to move it, should it scare her.  The moral of this story is that people who had never spoken to each other before, were now conversing.  Conversing seems to be a dying art!  Why speak, when you can communicate without talking!

Of course, I am not averse to technology.  I like the fact that I can connect with my family and friends, at the touch of a button.  The world has become a smaller place, or a more connected place.  However, the lack of imagination of the younger generation is somewhat disturbing.  Life before handhelds is inconceivable.  

I happened to send an email to a client, who had sent us a paper, which was incorrectly issued.  As is my practice, I sent it from my work email, not changing the name of the sender from my husband's to mine, not to be dishonest as much as proactive.  My name at the bottom of a message causes a degree of concern from some people, even though my experience in the field is more than two decades, which is a lot more than most of those with whom I communicate.  However, I digress.  The email was sent and I received a response, indicating that there was a problem with the electronic communication. I answered with a note indicating that there was something to be said for the 'old days' when we had to collect paperwork from the court, and emailing the writ was in its infancy, and caused a modicum of anxiety.  The responder came back with a chilling email, alluding to the take over of AI and basically, the downfall of the human race. Interestingly enough, the sender was one of the 'younger' generation.  I wanted to tell him that he 'pen is mightier than the sword', but feared it would fall on deaf ears, or blind eyes, as it was an email!

With the euphoria of finding the kitty, followed by the depression of the Gen Z, with whom I had communicated, my week continued on a more even keel.  I refused to be drawn into the apocalyptic mindset, at least for now.  Plants still need watering!  Cut flowers still need liquid!  Gourmet food still needs to be prepared!  

Moving right along, and the current state of play was still very much routine.  I used pen and paper to work out calculations.  My husband uses a calculator with such speed, it sounds as if he is 'touch typing'.  The 'calculator app' is used by some, but the youngest member of our team simply asks his handheld for the answer.  If timing was critical, either myself or my husband would arrive at the answer quicker than the others.  Me, because I have a pen between my fingers, and paper to hand.  A phone has to be picked up, and the 'app' opened.  Dependent upon the 'speed' of the 'connection' would dictate how quickly the handheld would respond.

Of course, resistance is futile, ultimately, but I feel it compromises my ability to function, and I am too fond of my brain cells to give in, totally! Perhaps I am naive in thinking that I could survive in a wilderness, but old habits die hard!

A happy medium would be good!  I think we are beyond that!  There is no turning back.  However, I will continue to be me!  As I said, the week was routine, and the postman still delivered the mail, (some of it to the wrong address, which was quite satisfying, to think human error is still alive and well,) and I still had to put outgoing post into the box, at the bottom of our driveway.  I continued to answer the phone, mostly to 'spam' callers, who claimed I was losing business due to the lack of 'buzz words' in my profile!  I was unsure as to what profile they were referring, but apparently, having the nature of your business in the business title does not qualify.  I could increase the volume of work, and achieve more if I listened to their experts. I did fall back into old habits, and respond, by saying that I could, in point of fact, increase the volume of my work, and achieve more, if I did not have to answer the phone every two minutes to someone who offered me advice on a subject I was clearly achieving better without!  

The week came to a close, and we left much later than usual on Friday.  It had been quite an eventful week, one way or another, with a modicum of old and new having their attributes exhorted!  

The couple with whom I discussed 'The Beatles' returned poolside, and we continued our conversation, with more excerpts from the book.  (The paper book, with pages, and covers.)  I explained that Liverpool, from where the Beatles hailed, was to England, as Texas is to the USA.  Independent!  It was a phrase that they understood!  I had actually borrowed the saying from another book, (paper with covers,) about a Soviet Union country.  I would never have known had I not read.....!  The pen is mightier than ....well at least mighty!  Still mighty!

Perhaps this 'written word' is mightier than an act, or deed.  Perhaps it will make some think.  It matters not, as I am not an 'influencer' or 'educator', (although I would prefer to be the latter, as the former is a little too modern,) but however this was received, it could not be so without the Internet, without technology, unless I had published it in a newspaper, or newsletter (which we no longer have in our community) or indeed, a monthly journal.  (What is a monthly journal?)  I hope you enjoyed.  I did!  Perhaps there will be more profound content, or perhaps not, in ........... another story!