…has this happened to you?
I know it has happened to me, more than once.
technology makes you stupid
It’s been over 80 for the last few days, and I’m going up to Portland for the rest of this week to see my sister, so I took advantage of the warm weather and went for a run yesterday afternoon.
My brain quickly tuned out and started working on this story I’m about to publish, so my feet went their own way, taking me up a street I usually go down, and out onto a fairly major street that has a bike lane.
My brain stopped rewriting long enough to notice this, and said, “Hey, I bet we’d enjoy riding a bike. I wonder how much something like that costs?”
“That is an excellent question, and a very good idea,” I thought back, “I’m glad we thought of it.”
When I got home, I texted my friend Atom, who is an avid bicycle, uh, riding guy. (Bicycler? Bicyclist? Bicycloid? I don’t know. Math is hard.)
Hey, I said, I’m thinking of getting a bike. Can you give me some buying advice?
Sure, he replied. Do you want a touring bike or a mountain bike or a racing bike or what?
Um. I want a bike, I texted back. The last time I bought one, I just wanted something that could do wicked jumps off the curb, you know?
Why don’t you get on IM so we can figure this out, he replied.
Sure. What’s your IM name?
He told me.
I tried to add him to iChat, and couldn’t get it to work.
I picked up my cell phone and texted to him: I can’t get it to work. Do you do Skype?
No, but I’m on Google Talk.
I’m not on Google Talk, I said.
Did you try Adium? He said.
No, let me try that. I replied.
I set my phone down and typed Adium into Google.
I paused.
I looked at my phone.
I looked at my computer.
I looked back at my phone.
I picked up my phone and texted him, Hey, I just remembered that I can use my phone to call you. Maybe I’ll just do that.
Your phone makes calls?!
Yeah, it isn’t an iPhone, I said. I laughed in my empty living room, very pleased with myself.
I picked up my phone and dialed his number.
..well, that isn’t entirely accurate; I looked him up in my contacts list, and pushed the appropriate buttons to initiate a call.
The phone rang. When Atom picked up I said, “Man, technology really does make you stupid, doesn’t it?”
More insights can be found here