The digital age has brought speed, convenience and options to our current lifestyle. I use technology… Every. Single. Day. I love it. And I hate it. And sometimes I miss how life was before the digital world became our normal. I have lived the majority of my life without a computer, the internet, or a cell phone. I know that makes me sound old, but heck… I am. Now everything from banking, buying groceries to purchasing clothes and gifts is done online and there is very little human interaction.

I have lived long enough to know that, somewhere in our era of convenience and efficiency, we have lost a little connection with others. Obviously, the internet has made it much easier to connect on a superficial basis, but I want deeper connection. The kind of connection that comes from long, slow conversations where you touch the person’s arm to emphasize a point or look them in the eyes to let them know, “I see you” without even saying it. I miss a life where we had to slow down, because living just took a little longer. Not that I want to turn back the clock, but there are a few things I miss about the pre-digital age.

Six things I miss about the pre-digital age

HANDWRITTEN LETTERS

I miss real letters and cards that come in a metal mailbox. Tell me your heart does not skip a beat when you physically pick up the mail and, mixed in between the advertisements and donation requests, you see your name and address hand lettered on an envelope. Bonus if there is a smiley face or sticker on it. It softens your heart to realize that someone took the time to think about you, find the paper, write on it, locate a stamp, address it, walk it to the mailbox and put the flag up. It is reaching out and connecting on a different level. Now if I send my kids something in the mail, I have to text them ahead of time to tell them to keep an eye out for it because they never check their mailboxes. (That is real, metal mailboxes, not electronic ones.)

PAPER COOKBOOKS

There is a plethora of delicious looking recipes floating around on the internet. Every so often I will fire up my laptop and set it on the kitchen counter to try one of them. But then, while I am busy collecting the spices and measuring cups, the recipe times out and I have to click it back on. It stays on long enough for me to get part way through and then an add pops up that has to be deleted so I can see the recipe again. Just when my hands are covered in flour, it is time for me to scroll down to see what to do next. Finally, I am ready to put it in the oven, but wait… what temperature should I bake it at? Scroll back to the top. And so, it goes. Click, scroll, click. I miss when the entire recipe was all visible at once… on one page.

INKEY NEWSPAPERS

I miss reading the news, written on real paper. Isn’t that how it got the name news “paper” in the first place? Now I read my newspaper electronically. Yes, it is convenient and causes less waste. I can even read the local paper while I am out of town. But I miss the crackly sounds of opening it up in the morning. I even miss the smell of the fresh ink that smeared on your hands. After everyone had read it, you could cut out recipes, or a picture of a teenager that was honored in it, or a good cartoon to share with someone. Afterwards it went into a box to be used as fire starter.

When I was a kid, my dad would come home after a long day’s work and settle into his recliner to read the paper. I loved, and I mean loved, to sneak up behind him and smack the back of the newspaper to surprise him. He was always good natured about it and laughed, but as an adult, I realize how irritating that must have been. That inky black newspaper represents good memories for me, when my world was smaller, more secure and orderly. I probably won’t go back to the real paper newspaper, but I miss it.

FACE-TO-FACE HELP

I miss the convenience, and connection, of having face-to-face help with things. Like with a real person. I want to see and talk to the bank teller to get my question answered, not call and go through a long list of automated questions that I have to press the correct digit for, only to end up with an automated answer that may, or may not be what I was looking for. My mom knew the bank teller’s name and would ask how her family was doing.

We mentioned to our son that we were going to go into to the bank to talk to them about an account. He was appalled. Why would you take the time to drive, park and walk into the bank to talk to a person when you could do it all online? Well, probably because it will take me twice as long to do it online. Besides, I need to hear how the teller’s family is doing.

BRICK AND MORTAR SHOPPING

I miss the tactile and visual experience of walking through the aisles of a store. It can be a feast for the senses, as you visualize the creative displays, feel the textures in your hands and observe the vibrant colors. Now, because of the online presence, many brick and mortar stores have closed or do not carry a very big selection.

When I was growing up, going shopping was an event… not just a few clicks of your fingers. My mom would plan a shopping day several weeks in advance with my sister and me. We always looked forward to going to the big city about 30 miles away and walking through the doors of The Cresent. My sister and I would beeline for the sale table where we would handle the beautiful sweaters and pick our very favorites to try on. We were each allowed to purchase one and then we would enjoy a rare lunch out with my mom. Our shopping trips together were filled with good memories that cemented our relationship. I won’t be getting that same experience when I shop online for Christmas this year.

THE UNKNOWN

I miss not having all of the answers. Yes, you heard that right. Remember when someone threw out a question or brought up a topic and everyone would jump in to discuss and debate it together, igniting a long, healthy conversation? People would come up with suggestions or solutions. Some serious and some funny. They would debate the date that an event occurred and discuss the situation around it. Now you can barely get out the words, “I wonder…” before someone whips out their phone and looks up the answer. No time for leisurely discussion or friendly debate. The fact has been read. Boom. End of conversation.

Final thoughts

Honestly, I would never want to give up my I-phone, Kindle or computer, or even my annoying friend Alexa. But sometimes I miss a world where everything was not so quick. A world where deep thought and long-winded conversations were part of everyday life. We have created a world of efficiency at the expense of personal connection. Left unchecked, we can slip into a shell of a world that is totally focused on a screen. We have all seen the family or couple at a restaurant that are staring at their hand-held screens and hardly say two words to each other.

I don’t want to go back to living in the pre-digital age. Fortunately, we don’t have to throw the baby out with the bathwater. We can have the best of both worlds. It just takes discipline and a conscious effort to use our electronic devices purposefully and not mindlessly. There is a whole world out there of textures, colors, smells and conversations waiting to be experienced. And it beats life on a screen any day.

Cheers to the retirement years!