Some Seniors love technology

While cruising last March during Mardi Gras (to avoid the parades and traffic that brings), I went on a cruise from New Orleans to Jamaica, Mexico, and Grand Cayman. While sailing, I took some time to write about how technologies have changed since I first got my Atari 800 way back when.

What I have noticed with the clouds rolling in is that computer use has gone back to the past. I remember the old green screen terminal I had in my office that were connected to the big mainframe computer at the central office of the school district. I could look up student data, make corrections and additions, but none of the data was stored on the terminal. We called it the dumb terminal. Though we have gone from dumb to smartphones, information more and more is stored, not on our machines, but in the various clouds available to us via Amazon, Apple, Google, Microsoft, and others.Not a bad idea, but it does seem to mirror the old days of mainframes and terminals. I like having my data available to me wherever I am. Music, important files, pictures, and other information. But it's also out there in the clouds to be used, stolen, or corrupted by machine and man-made errors in judgement.

Shopping fun on a cruise in  Mexico

Boomers are diverse

First of all: we are not all alike. Media and marketing gurus need to get that clear in their statistically significant sociologically sound statements of the demographic know as boomers. I am in the first generation of boomer and border on the greatest generation that came before. Are you thinking that since I am older that I would not be writing a blog on a desk that has a smartphone, tablet, and a laptop on it? Wrong. I also have pencils, paper, pens, and other much older writing technology. Even the pencils are not all the same as I have mechanical and standard types on my desk. 
The media believes that I would not be watching TV shows that discuss sex because I am older and more conservative. Actually that couldn't be further from the truth. I believe in the value of human life, but I am pro-choice. I couldn't have had an abortion myself, but I don't believe I should tell others what to do like most Republicans on the far right. I believe in gay marriage as a right that is being withheld because people don't understand the meaning of separation of church and state. 
Being a gay woman, I don't believe that the churches should be able to tell me what to do about anything. I don't want to tell them what to do either. The  church leaders who literally swear on the Bible use what they like and leave what they do not agree with. To literally interpret a document that is that old and has been in so many different languages and derived from so many divergent cultures, countries, and constituents over thousands of years, is not logical. Spock would be appalled and bemused at our right wingers. And, yes, I know Spock is not real, but the philosophy supported by Gene Roddenberry and his writers over the Star Trek years, is one that I agree with wholeheartedly.

Lose, gain

It is late. See you tomorrow.

Okay so it's not tomorrow but almost a year later. It's a long story. My 91 year old mother died October 1, 2013, and I am sorry to see her go from my life. However, she was quite ill, physically and mentally, didn't know who I was all the time, but she was in a happy, yet imaginary place, she created where she could spend her last days. It was funny at times when she would talk about the people in the room or men trying to break in the house. My favorite was the noisy neighbor whom I called Mrs. Cravitz, a la Bewitched, who would use a pencil to break the window by the front door to get in and listen to her conversations. Weird.

Scary thing is. I am a lot like my mother in many ways. Have  I seen my future? I'm doing crossword puzzles, going to the gym twice a week, and using meditation recordings to relax and correct for the grief I must be feeling. The funeral is next Friday, October 11.

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I will be back with more musings and reflections from the boomer world. Now I must write a final exam for the writing class I am teaching. Keeping my mind active and remembering that time is always moving whether we are or not, is motivating.

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