I am constantly amazed at how technology is making my life easier.
When Grandma Ada visited our house back in the early 70's, she'd watch the cars on a busy street nearby and comment "My look at those cars go zippity zip zip."
She repeated it often and with an equal amount of amazement each time. In those days we understood Grandma is 'getting older'. We agreed with her and moved on.
Today I had a question about a banking adjustment on our company's daily statement. The support person was able to access our account detail, look at check images, and verify information within a matter of minutes. I commented that it was amazing how long it would have taken just 30 years ago to get all the data we had so easily accessed in a matter of moments.
The support gal agreed and moved on.
I guess the more experience you have to compare things to, the more amazing it all becomes.
In my working life, I remember how excited I was to get a new IBM Selectric typewriter, inserting multiple 5" floppy disks to use Lotus 1-2-3, the first personal computer in the office that made me jealous of the gal who got to use it, the first fax I saw coming through - about one line per minute, using a teletype machine, learning to take dictation. I remember how heavy the big green ledger paper books were to look up accounting entries, I remember hand writing notes in a customer file, and answering customer questions that came in the mail via a return handwritten memo with carbon copy attachments. I remember asking the IT person to help me learn how to control the mouse when I first got one (he didn't really help because, looking back, it was a silly request - I just didn't get it.).
I have all those references in my memory and it makes the things we do in an office today seem all the more amazing. To the young people it's normal. I expect they'll be astonished when they get older and have today as a reference.
They might say, "My, look at those cars flying in the air going zippity zip zip"
We'll all agree and move on.
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