Chapter 1: The Technical Tangle

In a recent Zoom meeting, Andrew Rodwin humorously addressed the Boomer generation, saying, “Technically, all you have to do is... well, you know, split the atom, create nuclear fusion and fission, and then it’s all smooth sailing from there.” His witty approach to technology left us in stitches, showcasing his impressive intellect and comedic flair.

As Andrew continued to guide us through the intricacies of technology, Holly J See and I couldn't help but chuckle at his quirky coding jargon. “So, all you need to do,” he said, while I struggled to keep up with the ever-evolving digital landscape, “is navigate to Google Drive, which I’m sharing on screen. Just sift through my endless list of folders and find the 'Bleeding Edge' section.”

Unfortunately, his journey through endless subfolders led to a dead end. “Oops, it seems that folder isn’t here,” he said, but reassured us, “Don’t worry! Just follow my lead down this tech rabbit hole.”

Amidst the chaos, Sara Zadrima compassionately chimed in via chat, suggesting that to locate Google Drive, “all you have to do is visit drive.google.com and look for 'shared with me.'” Perfect, I thought. But as I attempted to follow her guidance, I lost sight of my fellow Zoomers and a Millennial.

I soon discovered I needed an app called Toby to organize my tabs, which felt as confusing as a secret military base. Perhaps I would be better off purchasing a second monitor to manage everything more efficiently.

After finally accessing Google Drive, I faced yet another challenge: figuring out how to download a link, insert it into my story, and publish it—only to find that the link was anything but clickable, despite its name. “Clickable Link? More like liar, liar, pants on fire,” I muttered.

While I was lost in the labyrinth of technology, Sara announced she had created something for us on Doodle Poll. I jokingly wondered if she had invented a new breed of Doodle dog and what that would mean for us.

When she clarified that it was a platform for creating polls, I pondered out loud why we couldn’t just use Slack Polly, which I had recently managed to learn about, despite its misleading name (it’s not a parrot).

The catch with Slack Polly is that I can’t simply access the app on my Mac; it requires a series of steps involving my email and searching for Slack messages to finally reach my Slack channel. All I wanted was to find Polly, not to dive into a Zoom meeting again until next week when I would likely forget everything.

Herein lies the irony: I am someone who prides myself on staying updated with technology. I owned one of the first personal Macs back in 1985 and self-taught myself PC skills for work. While I am capable of navigating code, it’s a tedious task that I do not relish. Yet, I persist.

I’ve never uttered the phrase “I don’t know how to do that,” because I’m confident in my ability to learn. However, if you start with “All you have to do is,” I expect the process to involve just one website or app and no more than two steps. Three steps at the most.

Otherwise, I might as well shut down my computer, pour myself a glass of wine, and crack open a book. Although, getting to my Kindle library can be another challenge!

Thank you to Andrew Rodwin for his random tech lingo, and to Betsy Denson and Holly J See for their editing contributions.

Chapter 2: Embracing the Quirks of Technology

In this video, Zedd and Alessia Cara deliver a captivating performance of their song “Stay,” with lyrics that resonate with many of us navigating the complexities of modern life.

The official music video for “Stay” by Zedd and Alessia Cara showcases the emotional depth of the song, highlighting the struggles and joys of relationships in today’s digital age.

Additional Thoughts on Technology

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