For over-50 crowd only!

[MSHappyCampers]

When I bought my Blackberry, I thought about the 30-year business I ran with 1800 employees, all without a cell phone that plays music, takes videos, pictures and communicates with Face book and Twitter. I signed up under duress for Twitter and Face book, so my seven kids, their spouses, 13 grandkids and 2 great grand kids could communicate with me in the modern way. I figured I could handle something as simple as Twitter with only 140 characters of space.

That was before one of my grandkids hooked me up for Tweeter, Tweetree, Twhirl, Twitterfon, Tweetie and Twittererific Tweetdeck, Twitpix and something that sends every message to my cell phone and every other program within the texting world.

My phone was beeping every three minutes with the details of everything except the bowel movements of the entire next generation. I am not ready to live like this. I keep my cell phone in the garage in my golf bag.

The kids bought me a GPS for my last birthday because they say I get lost every now and then going over to the grocery store or library. I keep that in a box under my tool bench with the Blue tooth [it's red] phone I am supposed to use when I drive. I wore it once and was standing in line at Barnes and Noble talking to my wife and everyone in the nearest 50 yards was glaring at me. I had to take my hearing aid out to use it,and I got a little loud.

I mean the GPS looked pretty smart on my dash board, but the lady inside that gadget was the most annoying, rudest person I had run into in a long time. Every 10 minutes, she would sarcastically say, "Re-calc-u-lating." You would think that she could be nicer. It was like she could barely tolerate me. She would let go with a deep sigh and then tell me to make a U-turn at the next light. Then if I made a right turn instead. Well, it was not a good relationship.







When I get really lost now, I call my wife and tell her the name of the cross streets and while she is starting to develop the same tone as Gypsy, the GPS lady, at least she loves me.

To be perfectly frank, I am still trying to learn how to use the cordless phones in our house. We have had them for 4 years, but I still haven't figured out how I can lose three phones all at once and have run around digging under chair cushions and checking bathrooms and the dirty laundry baskets when the phone rings.

The world is just getting too complex for me. They even mess me up every time I go to the grocery store. You would think they could settle on something themselves but this sudden "Paper or Plastic?" every time I check out just knocks me for a loop. I bought some of those cloth reusable bags to avoid looking confused, but I never remember to take them in with me.

Now I toss it back to them. When they ask me, "Paper or Plastic?" I just say, "Doesn't matter to me. I am bi-sacksual." Then it's their turn to stare at me with a blank look. I was recently asked if I tweet. I answered, "No, but I do toot a lot."

P.S.I know some of you are not over 50. I sent it to you to allow you to forward it to those who are.




Us senior citizens don't need anymore gadgets. The tv remote and the garage door remote are about all we can handle.

[Steve N Sal]

Thanks for sharing. I know the feeling here for sure.

[Chickenman]

[Glassalley52]

Very funny.

[TxRVMan]

I can't wait until I can leave my cell phone in golf bag in the garage...heck, I can't wait until I know exactly where my golf bag is! Awesome story, thanks for the chuckle!

[RickO]

Ain't it the truth?

BUT, please show some respect for the game. Cell phones don't belong anywhere near a golf bag!

BTW, our Tom Tom GPS offers many different voices. We enjoy "Mullet Man" who, not surprisingly, is a good ole boy and says things like... "Now don't get all ouchy on me, but you're gonna have to get over in the right lane!"

Thanks for the chuckle.

Rick

[NURSECAMPER]

Im just 40 but was born too late- lol. I can't work my cell phone very well and gave everyone at work a good laugh a few years ago when I said I didn 't have an email address because I didn't use it much and wasn't going to pay to have it! I mean you used to have to pay for aol when I was in my 20's. LOL I agree, too many gadgets and too much texting etc. I enjoy writing letters the old fashioned way... with pen in hand. It's more personal and means so much more. I'd use a carrier pigeon if I had one!

So... you don't have to be over 50 to appreciate the way things used to be... I miss the "old days"... heaven forbid we get up to change the channel! I like less tv, less texting, and less facebook- in fact, I got off facebook this year. Too many silly posts and opinionated people blasting crazy things on your page.

Anyway... good rv'ing and toot-a-lou

[336muffin]

Thanks Joe! I'm still laughing!

[Wayne M]

Just as funny now Joe. Thanks.

I have been using the "paper or plastic" reply for about 4 years.

[browne07]

I am in the back half of the 50's and I embrace the new technology. You just have to find what works for you and use it accordingly. My parents especially my mother refuses to even look at a computer. She did not have this back in her day. Kind of sad to have that attitude especially being an ex teacher.

[wa8yxm]

Well.. I'm over 50, Heck, I'm ove 60, I got here to the park, Grabbed a LInksys wireless game adapter I modified for higher gain on the antenna (more range) and set it up on the roof aimed toward the park wi-fi, Took my cell phone and turining on WI-FI logged into the WGA (Above device) via my in-house router and adjusted the aim for best signal.. Came down and enabled wi-fi calling, Proceeded to log in with my laptop and do my evening internet run .And this is just about the end of today's run.

We watch Television on a pair of DVR's. they are networked via the in-house network so they can share recordings, and they also connect to the net for program guides and such.

My phone has two phone numbers. ONE just for short messages, the other is voice, Thankfully only two people know the SMS number, Myself and my daughter. I do not plan to share.

I just got done making business cards for my wife's handicraft business. On the cards is one of those fancy QR codes (you know that little square grapich you see on things now days) that a smart phone can read and import her contact info.. BEEP fast.


That said.. Don't bother inviting me to follow you on Twitter, I don't tweet very often and when I do it is usually to the same idiot and it is usually the same complaint. (And about 50 others are tweeting at 'em the same thing too.. they have about 51 followers you see).

[TXiceman]

Glad I am not the only one that feels that way....

Ken

[Fred1609]

I'm still trying to figure out my eight track. But its true. Now I know how my parents felt with the accelerated changes they faced especially in technology. I confess I have no idea what twitter is or why I would use it. I'm definitely being left behind

[Mr_D]

Well, I started with computers in 1966 and haven't quit!!

Right now I'm setting up a web site for our Washington Pythian domain.