I never knew the word technology existed until I received my first banana type cell phone. By that time, I was introduced to Radio Shack computers by my wife who was teaching Chapter I students using computers and actually programing them for the entire class using floppy disks.

I tried to get into the game by getting a small computer which had a small printer with 3 inch paper. It didn’t work. All the computers at that time had a screen with green letters and figures with no printer.

My TV was black and white and Going back in time I realized that changes were coming. I was used to the radio and record white and I didn’t get a color TV until 1980 and that was because of the price. I knew in 1959 that color TV was in vogue and everybody didn’t necessarily have one. The TV crazed started with a small TV which could stand on top of a shelf or bookcase. It had a round screen which later turned into a rectangular screen. Like I said, not everybody had color TV so they developed a plastic sheet with blue on top signifying blue skies and green at the bottom for green grass. We would put it in front of the black and white screen and viola, color TV. Later the TV changed to include a record player and radio on the side and used as furniture. It has kept changing with times from portable to what it is now, wall to wall flat screen. 3D? Wow!

The radio went from an electronic set that you could put together as a project to furniture piece with s dial which you could change frequencies. Depending on your income, in large or small. In the 50’s they made it portable and encased in plastic and had AM and FM frequencies. Then it changed to transistor radios which you can carry and placed next to your ears to hear. Later we had Japanese radios with headphones. Right after that came portable radios with cassette players. As ridiculous as it sounds, we had boom boxes which was carried on the shoulders. Now we have stereo radios with cassette and CD players. By the way, record players are making a comeback. I have one in my office. I still have my LP records.

I finally got my first personal computer from Gateway. Included was a printer and a monitor. Thank goodness for Windows. I became a whiz for typing stuff up. I did not have internet at that time until somebody told me about internet and that started a new probe into information gathering which was new at the time. Email for me came later. Again, not everybody had a computer.

Our telephone system changed drastically. Originally we had operator assisted calls. The numbers for every call went with two letters. It was WA for WAlnut and PE for PErshing. Long distance calls went through an operator and you’re lucky if you didn’t have a party line where you shared the line with other people. The phone itself change from table top to wall phone and was rotary dialed and later to digital. Later they changed the letters to area codes throughout the united states.

When we got our first cell phones we still had our landline with Southern Bell telephone company. We only use the cell when we went out. It was difficult because there was no handy way to carry it. It was close to a foot long and two inches wide. Later a flip type phone became available and we bought one with the numbers that we could punched to dial out. When Apple came out with the flip top phone with difference applications (Aps) on, I hesitated to get one because I didn’t know how long the trend would last. Surprised! It’s still here, however, they added a screen to it and called it an IPhone.

So now I can put all my entertainment in a cell phone or my computer. For example, I can download music from several Aps, see who I’m calling, gather information through the internet and have a conversation with ten or fifteen people at the same time and see when they’re talking. I can use Bluetooth to send my music to a loud speaker. I can send text messages, pictures and email from my phone. If I want to talk with family members, I use Facebook messenger. If I want to talk with my Knights of Columbus group I use Zoom and If I want to hear and participate in a webinar as opposed to a seminar but on the internet, I use Drop Box. For working with Red Cross, I use Microsoft Teams. These are Aps which are downloaded. One good thing. They are all synchronized with my Fire Tablet. I can be away from home and have access to a wifi, I can access everything. Hello Star Trek. We’re here!

Isn’t. life grand