Technology is changing so quickly, it’s mind-boggling. Take music players for example. Just in our own lives, we have gone from the Transistor radio (when we could take our music out of earshot of our parents for the first time) to the Audio Cassette, the 8-track Tape, the Walkman, the Compact Disc, the MP3 Player, Apple’s iPod and now smartphones that can play your favorite music.
Today’s technological advances provide many benefits for older adults. They can help us live safer and longer in our own homes and even prevent our helicopter children from insisting we move closer to them. In our homes, we can install Smart Smoke Detectors, Smart Indoor Cameras, Smart Locks, Smart Doorbells, and Smart Security Systems that can all connect to our Smartphones. It seems like everything is smart – except for me!
Also with any of the major platforms: Amazon Alexa, Google Home or Apple Home you can turn off lights, play music, find the time, and check the weather just with a voice command. Remember when we have to get up out of our chairs to change the TV station?
But many older adults are hesitant to jump on this bandwagon: it’s too complicated, I still haven’t been able to connect two lights to Alexa; it can be “throw up your hands” frustrating; and how many times do you want to call your children or grandchildren for help? It’s scary.
Then there is the privacy issue. As with many of you, my wife is still uncomfortable with a device you can talk to. What else is it hearing? Although, I tell her in our house there is nothing anyone would want to hear. Our life is not very exciting.
Even with all the benefits, I can understand why many older adults are hesitant. In 10 years, I can imagine myself resisting the latest technology when I hear some experts predicting we may see hundreds of thousands (if not millions) of humanoid robots that Elon Musk has said can basically do anything we want. “It can be a teacher, babysit your kids, it can walk your dog, mow your lawn, get the groceries, just be your friend, serve drinks. Whatever you can think of, it will do.” Now that’s scary!
So in the future when my children start insisting on buying me the latest humanoid that can do everything for me and I can just sit in my rocking chair and snooze away, I’ll just have to say, “No thanks. I’m doing just fine.”
Brain Tease: Good luck on this one. It may take a while.
Five words that contain MU as a letter-pair have had all of their other letters removed and placed into a pool. Put those letters back in their proper places. What are the words?
*MU**, MU****, *MU***, **MU**, ***MU**
Pool: A, A, B, C, D, E, E, E, F, G, I, K, L, N, O, R, S, S, T, Y
Because Charlie Brown couldn’t cook, Linus, Snoopy, and Woodstock helped him prepare a gastronomical feast that included toast, pan-fried popcorn, pretzel sticks, jelly beans, and ice cream sundaes. I received correct answers from Judy Kiser and Donna Mollet who are both winners of a quilt raffle ticket during this busy holiday season.
My children said they wanted to watch Babes in Toyland when we gather in California for Christmas, but I don’t know which version: the 1986 release, the 1961 Disney release (starring my Mickey Mouse Club heartthrob, Annette Funicello), or the original 1934 version in which Stannie Dum and Ollie Dee rent rooms in Mother Peep’s shoe in Toyland and stop the evil Silas Barnaby from marrying Bo Beep.
For this week’s “Remember When” question, who were the comedy duo that starred in the 1934 version, and who were internationally famous for their slapstick comedy playing the clumsy, childlike friend and the pompous bully? Email your answer to mcseniorcenter@gmail.com, leave a message at 541-296-4788, or send it with two bowler hats worn by the comedy duo.
And I’m sorry to report that even though I entered a raffle ticket for every “Remember When” winner and I even tried to bribe my friends at the Mid-Columbia Senior Center, no one who entered won. I’m hoping for better luck in April when the next drawing will take place during the Cherry Festival.
Well, it’s been another week, wondering if it will snow before I get the snow tires on. Until we meet again, when you fight your battles do it with a smile. It will confuse them.
“Grief is like the ocean, it comes in waves, ebbing and flowing. Sometimes the water is calm, and sometimes it is overwhelming. All we can do is learn how to swim.” Vicki Harrison
Answer
∀˥∩WɹOℲ ‘ƎS∩WƎq ‘Ǝפp∩WS ‘⅄NI┴∩W ‘ʞƆ∩W∀
