My Christmas

It still amazes me how comfortable I can be in my little laundry-room office in my quiet house in Iowa City. I really take it for granted until I’m separated from it for a few days, especially when that separation involves an exponential increase in the noise and activity level. You know the kind - the increase that comes with spending a couple of days in the presence of five very active nephews, ranging in age from two to seven. It doesn’t take long at all to find my noise threshold. It’s such a change from what I’m used to that it almost takes on physical proportions. It’s okay, though. They’re all good kids, and they’re family. I can adjust.

I realized yesterday that if I ever doubt or even question the pervasiveness of technology and the microchip in our lives, all I need to do is look under the Christmas tree. I was amazed at the sophistication of the toys these boys got for Christmas. Everything, it seems, talks, lights up, records, plays back, transmits, or receives. It’s mind-boggling to think about what these kids will be able to achieve surrounded by this level of technology their entire lives. I come from the post-boom, pre-X generation, myself. I think we’ve done pretty well with only half a lifetime of sophisticated microcircuitry to work with. The sky’s the limit for our youngsters. It’s exciting almost to the point of frightening.

My Christmas was decidedly low-tech. Clothes and a new prized St. Louis Cardinals coffee mug with my name etched on the side. It’s nice to get re-centered that way once in awhile.

But I’m still glad to be back in my high-tech low-noise office.

Tony
Steidler-Dennison