Back to the Future: It Often Works Better

I used to equate technology with efficiency. But lately I’ve been re-examining the things I do and how I do them. And technology is not always the most efficient, in my own experience.

For example, I’ve found it easier to use a paper calendar than an electronic one. I periodically scan in a few weeks in advance, so if I lose it I won’t be lost. For me, it’s much faster to open that and write in it than to use the iPhone. I actually feel like an idiot typing one letter at a time on that to enter a simple appointment.

And my iPhone seems to almost always need to be plugged in, so I find using my home phone (yes, I still have one) more seems less complicated and people can actually hear me.

I enjoy that my iPod can easily hold 768,981.53 songs. But I’ve gone back to listening to albums on a record-player. I can only listen to one at a time anyway and it sounds better coming out of two knee-high Polk audio speakers. (No, I can’t carry around the turntable, but I don’t always need to be entertained.)

I’m not sure if I’m devolving, but I’m finding my life is much better using things that — once created — did not have to be updated every year. I’ve never had to replace the screen, keyboard or mouse on my 1950s Royal manual typewriter. Although I do use the internet to buy new ribbons for it.