Technology

Another Super Bowl, another Sunday watching movies.   And we had more fun.

As I've often said, I'm not technologically adept.  In fact, I'm quite cyber-challenged.  Although I understand many of the concepts, the nuts and bolts and the how-tos leave me confuddled and frustrated.  Many people have smart phones; I have a dumb phone.  When we shop for phones, the salesperson extols the many features of what, to my understanding, is supposed to be a device for calling another person, when all I care about is whether I'll get good reception and if I'm going to pay an arm and a leg for it. 

Don't even ask me about high-def television, Blu-Rays or surround-sound systems.  They're all lost on me.  I can't use a bluetooth device for the simply reasons that I can't stand using earbuds and the darned things won't stay in my ears anyway.  Why I can't simply watch a DVD and have to upgrade to Blu-Rays for the enhanced experience is beyond me.  I want to watch a movie, not savor an expensive wine.

(And while I'm at it, this whole notion of buying perishable potables for their subtle bouquets and delicately balanced flavors is also lost on me, but that's another blog post unto itself.)

There is, however, one item of the technological age that I embrace warmly.  Although I'm no fan of Apple's service terms or it's sometimes obnoxious staff, the Ipod has made a marked difference in my work.  There are tasks that were nothing but drudgery that thanks to the Ipod I get done happily.

Shoveling snow, for example, can be tedious, but when I strap on the Ipod and blast Genesis' Snowbound, what was work becomes a magical experience.  I can't explain it, but I enjoy my work more when I can listen to my music.  I remember one time shoveling snow at the ungodly hour of five o'clock in the morning, with the eerie early morning light grey with the hue of the snow, with my music blasting loud and strong, keeping me awake and energizing me as I lifted shovelful after shovelful of snow.  I lost track of time as I pushed and lifted the snow off the driveway.  When I finished, I almost didn't want to go in the house, preferring instead to listen to my music as the heat wafted off my now-wet head in the winter cold. 

The same goes for mowing the lawn.  Since I've never owned a riding mower, mowing the lawn can really be a pain.  I had a lot with a half acre of land that needed to be mowed, and with the heat of the summer, it was really a thankless task.  But with my Ipod, it was less painful than it used to be.  The only thing I needed was the occasional drink and I was good to go. 

I could even chop wood while using my Ipod.  I have to be careful to make sure that no one is walking up behind me, but it's more pleasurable to listen to my tunes while I'm doing something that I already enjoy.  It's like being able to play basketball while listening to my music. 

I'm sure that I could improve my usage of the Ipod.  I've already figured out how to thread my earphones through my shirt so that they won't catch on any of the tools I'm using.  Sure, every once in awhile I turn off the Ipod with my thigh, but that's about the only nuisance I have to deal with.  The Ipod has made certain chores much more enjoyable than they used to.

(c) 2013 The Truxton Spangler Chronicles