I’ve come to accept the fact that I’m what some people call ‘old school.’ By that, I mean I’m not as quick to adopt technologies as other Gen Xers (a term I despise), and I tend to cling to things others my age find to be obsolete.
For example, I still buy — and listen to — CDs.
When traveling, I always print out my boarding pass (something Anthony finds amusing).
I check out books at the library.
I always carry a notebook in my bag — and by that, I don’t mean a tablet device. I mean a spiral notebook.
No matter how many cool gadgets and apps there are, I’m reluctant to go 100 percent paperless. Perhaps it’s because some things are just easier the old-fashioned way, perhaps I’m scared to completely surrender because, let’s face it, the unknown can be scary. There’s also the fact that technology isn’t always reliable — or even available. I don’t need battery life to read a book, and I don’t need a signal to access a foldup map.
And so I surprised myself when, at this year’s HIMSS conference, I headed to the CIO Forum carrying a small clutch bag that was big enough only for a phone, hotel key, and some business cards. I used the Notes app on my iPhone to jot down important points. At the end of day, I copied and pasted them into a Word doc. (As I later learned, Notes can also be sent via a text or email, making it even easier to go paperless.)
“Wow, this is so easy!” I thought.
I started to wonder how many times my life would’ve been simplified had I only adopted technology a bit sooner. Right away, I recalled the moment I knew it was time to bite the bullet and buy a smartphone. It was during the HIMSS 2010 conference in Atlanta. After claiming my bags, I went to hail a cab and hopped on a line of about 8,000 people (okay, maybe it wasn’t quite that many, but it sure seemed like it). When the guy in front of me told me he hadn’t moved in at least 20 minutes, I decided to go off-line and try my luck with MARTA, the city’s rail system.
After all, I was (at that time) a New York City commuter. If I could navigate the subway, surely I could figure out another city’s transit system.
Boy, was I wrong. The maps posted in the station were of no help to someone who wasn’t familiar with Atlanta’s various sections and neighborhoods. And so, after asking a few people for help (one of whom worked for MARTA) and getting nowhere, I called my husband, who used his smartphone to find out which line I needed to take.
Right then and there, I knew it was time to make the leap. And once I did, I had no idea what took me so long. In fact, it’s shocking how much I use my iPhone. There’s the iTunes app I use to play songs for my kids in the car (and secure a few precious minutes of peace), the Mapquest app that has bailed me out many times, the Weather Channel app that helps me plan my day, the MLB app I use to follow Red Sox games, and the camera I used to send pictures of my babies to my family when they were in the NICU. I’ve used the phone to refill prescriptions, buy coffee, and have FaceTime with my brother in Seattle.
Apple CEO Tim Cook once said, “Our whole role in life is to give you something you didn’t know you wanted. And then once you get it, you can’t imagine your life without it. And you can count on Apple doing that.”
Apple has already done it. The iPhone is a game changer. And although I still cherish the moments in life where technology is absent (at least to some degree), I’ve realized that when it comes to the benefits of technology, I needed to get with the times.
Better late than never, right?
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