"Electronically Making Up For Lost Time?" - Time Out #109

I guess I have crossed over, not to the dark side, but rather the enlightened side?

My family is still wondering in total disbelief.

"Is Dad all right?" is probably the most frequently asked question recently among our family unit.

So what, pray tell, is the riddle before the people of Our Town and beyond regarding yours truly?

Simply put, I am slowly discovering the finer points of that palm-size miracle that has taken planet Earth by storm.

In plain English, after 3 score and 10, Apple's iPhone and I are getting more and more acquainted with each other. Put another way, miracles never cease do they?

Let's follow my slow path to electronic acceptance.

Since my bride, Debbie, has progressed through 4 models of Apple's modern marvel over the last several years, she always awards me her hand-me-down, older model phone. Being the good spouse I constantly try very hard to be, I have always showed her my sincere appreciation, by thanking her for her supreme generosity. I have told her more than once, it is really nice to be remembered. Each time after I heaped praise on her for her good deed, I quickly put my "new" amazing electronic device in my secret drawer for safe keeping. Most of the time, her gift stayed in that same drawer until she became generous again, and thrilled me with another gift, a year or so later. In wasn't like I didn't join the 21st century, folks; I have just been too old-school in the communications area. You know, things like land line telephones, electric typewriters, occasional desk and lap top computers, and paper highway maps, just to name a few of my former go-to relics.

Because of the constant traveler I always have been, however, I have been caught in some real pickles, recalling my recent memory. Several times I have been in Location X, and needed to contact someone via telephone in Location Y; no outright 911 emergency, mind you, just needing an important ride or to tell someone my location in that far away place. Without a trusty cell phone on my person, I turned to the only source I had grown to know for a bazillion years, a public, land line, pay telephone. Well, you know the rest of that story, local group. I think the last of those electronic devices were put in the Smithsonian museums a few years back. So, what did I do in those troublesome situations without a personal device? I did the only thing any red-blooded human would logically do, I borrowed someone's cell phone on location to save me then from further worry, of course!

It was during those stressful no personal cell phone times, I came to the painful conclusion, I really did need to join the real communication world. I absolutely did need to carry a cell phone. No head-on, full speed ahead use, mind you, just gradually use one? I definitely did not want to accuse myself of being a slave to my small, 8th Wonder of the World. My gradual acceptance method was taking my phone once per week on my Thursday drive north to Ponca City and back, over the same Hwy. #177 I have regularly driven since opening that branch office in June, 1982. To say I know that 40-mile road well would be a gross understatement, and, yes, the drive has a strong element of sameness each time, For the past few years, this 80-mile round trip has had a new found spirit infused in it, that spirit being me constantly chatting with my family and many friends, courtesy my close companion, my "celly". The highway miles simply fly by my truck window, thanks to my new BFF (aka, Best Friend Forever).

I would be remiss if I didn't give additional credit to persistent, Ms. Debbie.

She has attempted many times, in her special spouse way, to teach me many of my cell phone's helpful features. I'm not really sure what my learning issues were, possibly stubborn or probably stubborn, but I certainly have been a slow learner at best on this necessity of our modern time.

So now, I have entered the realm of the vast internet connections and all the features that entails, along with the wonder of cell phone texting.

Wish me luck in these uncharted waters, my fellow time travelers.