Last week my computer crashed. Yes, that dread phrase appeared on the screen, then nothing else happened. After 10 days in the shop and more than a thousand dollars to get it out of hock (because I didn't want to get a new computer and deal with Windows VISTA), I'm back online.
I learned something from this experience. First of all, I depend much more on having my own computer than I ever realized. Using my husband's didn't feel right. I couldn't compose on his with any ease. All of my bookmarks and passwords were missing. I didn't have unlimited access to it either. I felt cut off from the larger world I had been part of and had taken for granted.
I also realized I was as addicted to checking my email as anyone else.
Not having instant access was hard at first; then I felt liberated from the constant need to see what had come in within the last 5 minutes. That made me aware that I need to be more mindful and monitor how I spend my time online.
This is all somewhat embarrassing to recount. But perhaps the most interesting thing I realized is how comfortable I've gotten with computers and online activity. A lot of my friends don't feel this way. And it's true that I don't have the ease and proficiency of anybody under 50, who grew up with computers. Watching even little children find their way around online game sites is awe-inspiring.
I'm writing about this because I think it's extremely important for anyone over 50--and especially for women--to wrestle with new technology, whether it be computers, cellphones, digital cameras, ipods, you name it. As I've mentioned before, there's a lot of research showing that we need to be challenged by new things that have a steep learning curve to keep our brains young. New synapses form when we do so. Besides, we remain more connected to changes going on in society this way, so many of them fueled by new technologies.
Technology is a little like aerobic exercise, I suppose. Today as I walked up and down hills in the Rockefeller Preserve near my home, I could feel my heart pumping. My doctor pushes me to keep it strong by challenging it regularly. It took effort to walk there, but the changing leaves on the trees and the autumn breeze reminded me that another year is passing, and I don't want to miss out on any of it.
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