Once You Go BlackBerry . . .
An e-mail this morning from my nephew Tim, wildlife photographer and web-designer extraordinaire, got me thinking . . .
When I said goodbye to Corporate America back in 2005, among the many benefits I forsook were a company car (along with its requisite fuel and insurance), an expense account, a laptop, and wi-fi. Looking back, though, there was only one perk that I truly missed, that I found myself pining for and which, when I saw it in the hands of another, filled my heart with envy.
Which brings me back to Tim's e-mail. Boasting the kind of simple, declarative statement for which hand-held technology (and the Ramones) was made, it said: "I just got my blackberry."
As much as I wanted one of my own, I could never justify it. But last year my business grew, and I started thinking that maybe, just maybe, my desire to reestablish my BlackBerry connection had passed from a nagging extravagance to an honest-to-goodness need. And then Deborah gave me one for Christmas.
I love having my 771 contacts always within reach--with room enough to also accommodate hours upon hours of my favorite music, a variety of videos lifted (thanks to TubeSock) from YouTube. And did I mention the GPS?
Yes, I've heard the "CrackBerry" jokes and have read the headlines that proclaim "BlackBerry Addiction 'Similar to Drugs'" (talk about your declarative sentences!). Even Laura good-naturedly sent me a "Life has become a major distraction from my BlackBerry" bumper sticker on Facebook. But I'm not overly concerned.
My BlackBerry "addiction" is a good thing. When an opportunity for, or a question from, one of my clients arises, I can respond immediately--regardless of where I might be. If I'm stuck in a doctor's waiting room or I arrive early for a meeting, I can make use of the time reading a manuscript which I downloaded. Or if I'm out and about and can't remember the name of that short guy from Laugh-In who was in Magnolia (Henry Gibson), or I'm crashing on the couch reading Richard Ford's Independence Day and come across a word whose meaning I think I know but not exactly (tintinnabulation: the ringing or sounding of bells; or a jingling or tinkling sound as if of bells), the answers are all right at my fingertips. And if I'm in traffic and think of a line I want to use in the book, or an idea for a new story, I simply dictate it into the voice recorder and get it on paper later. No more coming home with pockets overflowing with scrap paper and Post-it Notes!
I never thought I'd find myself quoting Tom Clancy, but he really hit the nail on the head when he said:
There was a time when nails were high-tech. There was a time when people had to be told how to use a telephone. Technology is just a tool. People use tools to improve their lives.
My BlackBerry is like my own personal HAL 9000--sans the attitude.
When I said goodbye to Corporate America back in 2005, among the many benefits I forsook were a company car (along with its requisite fuel and insurance), an expense account, a laptop, and wi-fi. Looking back, though, there was only one perk that I truly missed, that I found myself pining for and which, when I saw it in the hands of another, filled my heart with envy.
Which brings me back to Tim's e-mail. Boasting the kind of simple, declarative statement for which hand-held technology (and the Ramones) was made, it said: "I just got my blackberry."
As much as I wanted one of my own, I could never justify it. But last year my business grew, and I started thinking that maybe, just maybe, my desire to reestablish my BlackBerry connection had passed from a nagging extravagance to an honest-to-goodness need. And then Deborah gave me one for Christmas.
I love having my 771 contacts always within reach--with room enough to also accommodate hours upon hours of my favorite music, a variety of videos lifted (thanks to TubeSock) from YouTube. And did I mention the GPS?
Yes, I've heard the "CrackBerry" jokes and have read the headlines that proclaim "BlackBerry Addiction 'Similar to Drugs'" (talk about your declarative sentences!). Even Laura good-naturedly sent me a "Life has become a major distraction from my BlackBerry" bumper sticker on Facebook. But I'm not overly concerned.
My BlackBerry "addiction" is a good thing. When an opportunity for, or a question from, one of my clients arises, I can respond immediately--regardless of where I might be. If I'm stuck in a doctor's waiting room or I arrive early for a meeting, I can make use of the time reading a manuscript which I downloaded. Or if I'm out and about and can't remember the name of that short guy from Laugh-In who was in Magnolia (Henry Gibson), or I'm crashing on the couch reading Richard Ford's Independence Day and come across a word whose meaning I think I know but not exactly (tintinnabulation: the ringing or sounding of bells; or a jingling or tinkling sound as if of bells), the answers are all right at my fingertips. And if I'm in traffic and think of a line I want to use in the book, or an idea for a new story, I simply dictate it into the voice recorder and get it on paper later. No more coming home with pockets overflowing with scrap paper and Post-it Notes!
I never thought I'd find myself quoting Tom Clancy, but he really hit the nail on the head when he said:
There was a time when nails were high-tech. There was a time when people had to be told how to use a telephone. Technology is just a tool. People use tools to improve their lives.
My BlackBerry is like my own personal HAL 9000--sans the attitude.