My Digital Life

I spent time today organizing the bookmarks on my computer. I have a zillion and one things that I have bookmarked so that I can easily find them again. However, I was finding that I have so many things bookmarked that I couldn't find what I needed when I needed it! It all started when I was trying to find a recipe for a pasta dish and I knew I had bookmarked it. I spent almost twenty minutes searching through all types of bookmarked recipes before I realized that I put it in a different folder all together! I was so frustrated. So, I sat down and organized EVERYTHING that I had bookmarked.

It feels really good to know where everything is and have everything clearly labeled. However, I realized today that I rely very heavily on my computer. Remember how our mothers would pull out their little recipe box when they were getting ready to cook? Well, this Mom fires up her computer so I can open up my recipe that was bookmarked from whatever random site it was on. It made me think how much trouble I would be in if something happened to my computer and I could never again access those bookmarks. I back up my photos on occasion and even my documents. However, if for some reason all of my bookmarks were gone I would be in a sad state. How in the world would I make some of my favorite recipes? How would I remember exactly how to make a certain craft I had found online? How would I remember all the names of the many blogs I read on a daily/weekly basis? It kind of freaked me out!

I realized that my life has become very digital. I do have a recipe box but it's full of recipe cards that my mother or grandmother have given me. I do have an address book but I only pull it out at Christmas to send Christmas cards. I hardly ever contact anyone with an old fashioned handwritten letter. I pay the majority of my bills online and do almost all of my banking online. I even store a good bit of my homeschooling info on my computer. Wow! When did this happen?

I have yet to give in to the allure of a smart phone. I am half afraid of them. I only just started texting using my three year old flip phone! So, I suppose I can take some measure of comfort in that. Although, Carlos and I both realize that at some point in the future we are going to have to give in and own smart phones so that we can actually function in modern society. For now, we are digging in our heels and holding onto our flip phones and cheap monthly plan.

So, I suppose I have become quite digital in many ways, however, I still have a ways to go. I can only imagine what life will be like by the time Annie is heading off to college. I think I will bury my head in the sand and not think about it. :)