TECHNOLOGY

[image via allposters.com]

[So as to protect innocent parties I will leave this purposely vague.]

Yesterday I was preparing to teach a class of young girls the history of a particular religious book of songs. I went to a room where volunteers assist in letting us check-out books, pictures, TVs… anything that will help us with our lesson. I asked one of the elderly volunteers if I could check-out a CD of the songs recorded from said religious book. The perfectly sweet woman said, “Of course!” and proceeded to hand me a cassette tape. I thought her advanced maturity had affected her hearing so I repeated clearly and loudly, “Oh no, I ACTUALLY NEED A CD.” With a confused look she came back a few minutes later with a different cassette tape. I wasn’t sure how to proceed without offending her so I apologetically explained, “I’m looking for a compact disc, this is a cassette tape, what I need plays in a CD player?” She then waived the cassette around and said “This won’t play in a CD player?” To which I sweetly smiled and said “No, it’s flat and round?” Confusion. “Is it okay if I come in there and see?” She kindly obliged and I quickly found tucked next to the cassettes an entire row of CDs labeled accordingly. I mocked her same confusion for a few seconds and then, “Oh, here they are. This CD will work perfectly, thank you so much for your help.” She smiled and said, “I’m glad you found them, I would have never figured that one out.” I then went and taught my class the history of a book made in 1835 using my new fangled technology.

Let me say it was beyond awkward to not make her feel bad or talk down to her; because it’s not that she’s senile or blind. She’s just a part of a different generation that isn’t familiar with technology that first became available in 1982. Mind boggling. It makes me wonder what future technology I’ll fail to grasp.

I just wish I could be there when someone shows her an IPod.