Word of the Day: Recalcitrant

I'm not really the technology geek type. It took 10 years and my cell phone literally dying to force me to purchase an iPhone. I'm still not exactly thrilled with that capitulation. I went from paying about $20 a month for the convenience of having a cell phone to including my cell phone in a bundle plan amount that rivals my monthly grocery budget, all for the privilege of mobile Internet access. Don't get me wrong... I've used it, but there's no freaking way I've used it enough to justify the cost. My children would categorize this as my natural kicking and screaming attitude with regard to making changes. I see the process as market manipulation for the sake of capitalism. And, my feelings on that subject would be best held for a future blog post.

Having said that, I frankly don't know how we existed pre-Internet. Like everyone else, it took me a while to realize it must be used with a healthy level of skepticism but, for the most part, it is my go-to source for information... news, weather, directions, movie times, restaurant menus and, yes, Facebook. I do not let a day go by without checking what's been posted by friends near and far. 

My other cyber activity, specifically this blog, I have to say, falls a little short. I'm not sure what I expected. I just had a lot of people tell me over the years, "You should write," which with the arrival of the Internet became, "You should blog." So far, it's been a matter of me just throwing ideas out into cyberspace for no particular reason other than I can. Unfortunately, I'm gradually coming to the conclusion that my ideas are not really original enough to justify blogging.

But, I'm all about sharing ideas and experiences, especially in a visual format. So, I decided to join Pinterest. It didn't take me too long to get the gist of it and create some boards. I even have a few followers, although all but one are personal friends and acquaintances. I'm rating this experience as a bridge between Facebook and blogging. The downside is it is a huge time drain. Fortunately, it wasn't a problem on a weekend during which March exited like a lion, with weather suitable for channel surfing and Internet scrolling. I was judicious and spent time browsing through sites looking for spring gardening ideas and, of course, recipes, as well as some interesting book titles for reading on those days when the weather reminds us all that there was a time when our entertaining diversions did not require electricity. 

I will, however, draw the line at Twitter. I can only be pushed so far.