Imagine Life without a Computer?

Today a random and seemingly trivial thought ran through my mind: what would daily life be without a computer and, more significantly, without the Internet? No email, instant weather or news updates, infinite Search engines, or do-it-yourself flight reservations. Wow, I hadn’t realized just how connected I really am to my computer until I really thought of what it would mean to do without it.

For some reason, the thought occurred to me while scanning headlines from my favorite news site CNN.com with an article titled, “Ninety years of birdwatchers’ notes going online.” The North American Bird Phenology Program is publishing online bird watchers’ notes (like the one shown here, right) dated from as far back as 1880. Over 6 million hand-written note cards worth of avian insights on over 900 species (some of which have since become extinct) are being converted into a computer catalog for browsing and searching. Oh, the marvel of instant access to these miraculous words of wonder!

The significant impact of these and countless other things we now take for granted like being able to email friends and family all across the globe with just a few keyboard strokes and mouse clicks is awe-inspiring. So, could I do the same things without a computer? Yes, but undoubtedly with more effort. I do already write monthly letters to my grandmother in southern Iowa, as she herself has never used a computer. The local news stations provide updated news and weather, as do many cable stations devoted to keeping us updated on current events. Libraries used to be, and for many still are, the information-keepers, yet that avenue requires (like many things) travel and more work to do the same task.

Even the computer itself has become ever more flexible as laptops provide easy transport from room-to-room or portable offices for travel. We can watch DVDs, listen to music, make and print greeting cards, edit home-movies and digital photographs, and do our own income taxes. I think of how much trouble my grandmother had learning to use a remote control for her television and chuckle knowing she will never have use for a cell phone or GPS device (she doesn’t even know how to drive anyway). So, yea I could get along well enough without a computer I suppose, but I sure would miss it!