Simple Pleasures Technology Can't Touch

Post. Like. Friend. Text. Tweet. Share. Blog. Pod. Pad. Droid. Touch. Cloud. Google. Safari. Bing. Web. Viral. Wifi. Wiki. App. 3G. 4G. Link. Attach. MP3. JPEG. PDF. The 21st century is a daunting place. The proliferation of desktops, PC's, laptops, tablets and smart phones has added to the jargon of the English language. These new twists on old and familiar words can be - to a middle-aged man like me - a bit bewildering.

I was born in one age and now live in another. When I graduated from high school, my home had one telephone - it was rotary dialing device and was equipped with something we used to call a "cord". Our television offered four channels, and I had to walk over to it and turn a knob in order to change the station from ABC, CBS, NBC or PBS. Consequently, there was no channel-surfing. Tweets were made by birds and clouds were in the sky. A web was something insects were occasionally trapped in. No one "googled".

I sat in front of a computer for the first time as a high school senior.  The screen was dark and the typeface (no one had heard of "font" yet) was orange, or possibly green. The only thing I remember is feeling very, very inadequate. Nonetheless, nothing would ever be the same again.

Eventually, in young adulthood, dial telephones followed the dinosaur into extinction. Cable television was purchased. I bought my first cell phone (about the size of a brick) after turning 30. A desktop computer followed shortly after, ultimately to be retired last year by the easy mobility of a laptop. I'm sure an iPhone or iPad isn't too far off.

 The Computer Age is equal parts fascination and intimidation. I am astounded and intrigued by each new innovation and application. The technological advances of just the last ten years have ushered in an era of creativity seemingly unparalleled in human history. These are truly amazing times to live in.

And yet, fortunately, there are still simple pleasures in life that technology can't touch.

We all have a list of "the little things" in life that we look forward to, remind us of childhood, or just put a smile on our face. Newer, faster, sleeker technologies can't improve the experience. Some try and only succeed in making it different, not better. Here are my simple pleasures technology can't touch:

 1. Skipping Rocks. My personal record is about 12. And the hunt for the smoothest, flattest, most skippable rock continues . . .

2. Going to an Outdoor Baseball Game. Two words . . . Target Field. Okay, there's a few more. Beer, hot dogs, green grass, wooden bats and the seventh inning stretch. Adding wifi was an abomination, but it was a victimless crime.

3. Reading a Book. With all apologies to iPads, Kindles and Nooks - it's not the same.

4. Attending a Play. Watching actors stay in character for two hours or more without someone yelling "Cut!" is equal parts nerve-wracking and awe-inspiring.

5. Riding a Bike. There is nothing even slightly dangerous about "spinning" or riding a stationary bike. Being outdoors on two wheels introduces the possibility - however slight at times - of a good old-fashioned rush of adrenaline.

6. Sitting Around a Bonfire. Maybe it's the caveman in me, but making a fire, staring into a fire and keeping a fire going is just  . . . cool. Clearly words are failing me, as they probably failed cavemen too.

7. Playing Catch. I know this might just be a guy thing, but there is nothing quite like the feel of a ball smacking into a well-worn glove. Heaven. Or maybe Iowa. Can anyone honestly say they didn't cry at the end of Field of Dreams when Kevin Costner asks his father, "Hey Dad, you wanna have a catch?"

8. Playing Board Games and Cards. Playing solitaire on the computer cannot compare to the joy on my daughter's face when she beat me at cribbage for the first time.

9. Coffee on a Saturday Morning. Okay, any morning really. But knowing the coffee can be poured into my genuine Waffle House cup and not a travel mug makes Saturdays best . . . and if I can drink it while checking up on Facebook, reading emails and following tweets . . . well so much the better!

10. Having a Face-to-Face Conversation. No amount of texting, tweeting, emailing and Skypeing comes close to equalling the emotional/intellectual satisfaction, pleasure, risk, reward, danger, thrill, heartbreak, excitement or sheer reality of true "face-time" communication.

That's my list. It's not exhaustive or unique. Some of the "little things" in your life might be the same as mine. Certainly, some are different. Definitely, they are just as meaningful. What are yours?

And no, the irony of blogging about the simple pleasures of life wasn't lost on me either :)