I’m sitting on a 6 hour flight next to a lovely older lady (did I mention older?) eagerly attempting to figure out her DigiPlayer rental. Now, for us whippersnappers, it’s second nature to jab at the small circular power button, plug in our headphones, manipulate the screen-based conventional menu choices and voilà! We’re plugged into the virtual environment and our surroundings dissolve away. But what about the generation BEFORE ours? Many from the IBM Selectric generation have no interest in exploring the realm also known as cyberspace, with it’s limitless virtual capabilities. It’s confusing or even scarey for some.

We raise our kids & teach them language skills & nurture their youthful, artistic talents. But you know, it’s kind of fun to have the tables turned & be watching the generation before us embark on a learning curve to master a language/art or virtual community that we’ve been part of for years. We’ve grown up with the latest technologies; however, these technologies have grown after our parents.

There was a point when I can recall my Mother announcing that she & my father were finally willing to bring an answering machine into their home. Up until that point, they’d insisted that technology like this wasn’t necessary.

Since that day, I’ve seen them dive enthusiastically into surround sound, Dolby digital, flat screens & digital cameras. Technology blossomed and with it their creativity. Through their photographs and amazing scrapbooks, we are all included in their adventures- ambitiously trekking the Great Wall of China, bravely swimming with stingrays or even loping on camels in the desert.  What amazing journeys to be able to share with us!

So one day with their willingness to embrace Cyberspace, a wirelesss router entered their castle gates and much like the historical Trojan horse, it brought within it a virtual world filled with exciting, and somewhat scary opportunities. Shopping no longer requires long lines, and the probability of finding that perfect, unusual gift was increased ten-fold. Rental movies, pizza & even groceries can be ordered online.  Relatives can see & hear each other for live gatherings while being virtually anywhere, anytime.  Amazing how my parents, and many others, have gone from answering machine tapes to iPhones in a few, short decades…

I love the good morning text messages that my Mom has now mastered, the “live” camera phone video feed from my father of my daughter’s gymnastics…  With the revolution of Cyberspace, the possibilities are endless. I love it that previous generations have their own Facebook Groups and online discussions. No one has to be Lonely even if you’re alone.  You can always have a friend in your pocket, no matter your age!

(By the way, in case you were wondering, we did help the nice gal and she was smiling broadly as she toasted her success with a small bottle of champagne before falling fast asleep to whichever movie she had so laboriously picked out… LoL )