I’m going to do a post not so much on drinking/non-drinking, but more on how dependant we’ve become on technology. I don’t really consider myself old at 60, but when I relate those years to all the changes I’ve seen over those past 60 years, it makes me feel old. I was 5 years old before we had running water and a bathroom in the house. I was 6 years old when we got our first TV, and it was black and white! My kids still have a tough time thinking about no running water or an indoor flushable!
Yesterday I was going back and forth in the tractor harrowing fields to get them ready for seeding and I had my cell phone on the tractor armrest console where it always sits. I talked with my son about a riding lawnmower that he was picking up from our farm, I texted Bubba to see if she made it to her parent’s okay, and I did a bit of MWO reading. I got finished the field and folded the narrows up to move to another field and jumped out to check if it went into transport mode okay. When I got to the next field, I unfolded the narrows and got them back into field mode and jumped out to make sure it locked into position okay. I was off and rolling again going up and down the field. I noticed the fuel in the tractor getting low so I figured I’d text the farm boss that I’d need fuel in a coupe of hours and low and behold, my cell phone was gone!! Instant panic!! I stopped the tractor and hunted high and low in the cab, I checked all my pockets, vest, jacket, pants and no phone! Did I take it out with me when I folded up or unfolded, I couldn’t remember! So, I got on the tractor 2-way radio and called the farm boss, he didn’t answer, he mustn’t be near a 2 way. Panic level rises a bit more! What if my son was having trouble loading the lawnmower on the trailer by himself? What if Bubba was trying to text or call me, she would get worried if I didn’t answer! What if I run so low on fuel that I had to stop? More panic… I kept trying the 2 way for about an hour with no success, then when I figured I had about ½ hour of fuel left, Corey finally called me back on the 2 way. He wondered why I hadn’t answered his calls or texts. I explained my situation and had him call again while he was on the 2 way with me. He said the phone was ringing, but I couldn’t hear it, so it must be out in the field somewhere. At least it was ringing and not going straight to voicemail, I knew that I didn’t run over it with the tractor! Corey was on his way up with fuel, and when we finished fuelling the tractor, we went to search for me phone. Two men walking crisscross in a field where I folded up and then in the next field where I unfolded. For about an hour we did this, him phoning my cell and both of us listening to see if we could hear it ring. No luck….
When we got back to the tractor, I used Corey’s phone to call Bubba and explain what happened. Here’s went to voicemail, so I left a message. While I was in the tractor cab putting things back after moving them all around searching, I could hear a faint ringing, I asked Corey if his phone was ringing. He said no, but then his phone started to ring. It was Bubba calling back after I left my message. She tried my cell first, then Corey’s, so I knew my phone was somewhere around the tractor! Corey got up in the cab with me, called my phone, and sure enough, we could hear a faint ring! It had fallen off the armrest and felt under the bellows of the air ride seat, there was no way we could hear it with the tractor running! Instant relief!!
I spent the rest of the day thinking about how dependant we’ve become on technology! Cell phones, Internet, PC’s, laptops, tablets, iPad, and the list goes on. What’s the first thing you check for before leaving your house, your cell phone I bet! Just the same as me. For 4 hours yesterday I was in panic mode over a cell phone. For almost 2 hours, two men searched for 1 cell phone. Life has become more complicated with technology lol. So just think where you would be if all the technology crashed, forever… Do you have a Plan B?