I am not ready for the 21st Century. I drive a standard shift car and write with a fountain pen when given the opportunity. When I take notes at meetings I use a yellow legal pad. Himself loads my iPod with songs to listen to at the gym. And he bought me the iPod. So when my birthday present last month was this laptop computer I had some very mixed feelings.
We have a long-standing rule around here that presents cannot be practical and have electrical cords. This rule came about when he gave me an electric toothbrush for Valentine's Day about twenty years ago, thus earning him the title "Captain Romance". I told him the next gift with an electrical cord would find said cord wrapped around his neck while he slept. And I guess he believed me, because this is the first time he's dared. But it's growing on me. I've given her a name (I'm keeping it a secret because my sons already think I'm strange). She has made it vastly easier to start doing this blog, which I'm enjoying more than I thought I would. But most importantly, she has enabled me to Skype. As the kids on Facebook say, "Best. Present. Ever!!!"
Yesterday afternoon I got to see my younger son in his dorm room in Ohio. And he got to see me. And we talked. I felt like Jane Jetson. This was our third time on Skype since he's been away, so it wasn't a total shock, but this was the first time that he actually looked happy. He teased me and had the old twinkle in his eyes, and for the first time I heaved a sigh of relief and thought, "He's going to be just fine!" which was worth whatever Himself paid for this thing. Because the telephone is one thing, and notes are fine (oh who am I kidding...no college kid writes notes!), but a mother needs to see with her own eyes what the real story is. It only takes a look, but we need that look. It wasn't as good as a hug, but I must confess that maybe the 21st Century has a couple of things going for it after all. Good job, Captain Romance.
We have a long-standing rule around here that presents cannot be practical and have electrical cords. This rule came about when he gave me an electric toothbrush for Valentine's Day about twenty years ago, thus earning him the title "Captain Romance". I told him the next gift with an electrical cord would find said cord wrapped around his neck while he slept. And I guess he believed me, because this is the first time he's dared. But it's growing on me. I've given her a name (I'm keeping it a secret because my sons already think I'm strange). She has made it vastly easier to start doing this blog, which I'm enjoying more than I thought I would. But most importantly, she has enabled me to Skype. As the kids on Facebook say, "Best. Present. Ever!!!"
Yesterday afternoon I got to see my younger son in his dorm room in Ohio. And he got to see me. And we talked. I felt like Jane Jetson. This was our third time on Skype since he's been away, so it wasn't a total shock, but this was the first time that he actually looked happy. He teased me and had the old twinkle in his eyes, and for the first time I heaved a sigh of relief and thought, "He's going to be just fine!" which was worth whatever Himself paid for this thing. Because the telephone is one thing, and notes are fine (oh who am I kidding...no college kid writes notes!), but a mother needs to see with her own eyes what the real story is. It only takes a look, but we need that look. It wasn't as good as a hug, but I must confess that maybe the 21st Century has a couple of things going for it after all. Good job, Captain Romance.
RSS Feed