Technological Burden

So, four years ago I bought a brand new Dell Computer. I was so excited because I had a very old Mac in my room which was not serving the purposes I wanted. I spent $850 on this computer, a reasonable price for a 15-year-old I would say. Well, my mother decided she wanted to have a better computer downstairs for her use as well (and, her typical use on the computer is to check email and sign-up for the Keith Urban fan whatever). Within two weeks, we each had a new computer coming to us, and a week after that, wireless internet hooked up for them both.
It was not long after this that I decided I should have talked my mother out of this purchase of her computer. I didn't know how to tell her but she did not know how to use the computer as well as she thought. She called my downstairs one day and told me the Internet was broken. I looked at her with one of those my parents don't understand anything looks and she told me that the site she wanted to access--hotmail--was not allowing her on and that meant the Internet was broken. I told her that hotmail was a site and that is not what controlled the functionality of the internet. She, of course, being the mom, tried to convince me that I was wrong. Easily, I logged into facebook and proved to her that I knew more about technology than she did.
It seems funny, when you think about it, that everyday functions are now being done by the computer. What once took hours now takes seconds. Communication is at the push of a button instead of the end of the Pony Express. The older generations do not have the same grasp of technology that those under 20 or 30 have. It is all to do with how they grew up.
For instance, if we look at my mother, a computer was introduced to her at the same time it was to me. Since I was still in school and was young enough to grasp the concept, this modern device came easily to me. My mother, not so much. It is not easy to teach an old dog new tricks.
Would it make sense to sit down with every adult and teach them these technological advancements? Probably not. Some, given time, can come to solve the basic problems, but most cannot come to understand all of the keys and functions without step-by-step instructions.

If one thinks about it, it will not be long before our generation is too old to fully comprehend all the latest gadgets and gizmos. Technology is constantly changing: Hybrid cars, GPS, ect.

Soon, the world will be run by computers. The movie iRobot gives some depth on this idea, as does Eagle Eye. Both show the burden of having technology that is too advanced for its human counterparts. If this result will ever happn, no one can be sure, but soon, all the simple jobs will be gone. Education will be done by computers and human intelligence will become just that--human!

My mother did not know all there was about her computer when she bought it and we do not know all about the computers we are now creating. Whether there is a connection, no one can say. Just wait and see!

Personally, I cannot wait for super smart computers....ones that will do MY homework for me. :)

"Waiter, Bring Me Water"

Shania Twain, country singer phenomenon, on her UP! album in 2002, sang the hit Waiter, Bring Me Water. In these present times, it seems this song may be appropriate to describe the conditions of Valley City. Fargo. Grand Forks. North Dakota in general.

In 1996-1997, North Dakota experienced the great flood, which left Grand Forks powerless for some time. Many can recall the incident, and many also prayed that it would never occur a second time. They got their wish: This year’s flood is worse than 1997.
Again, a big thank you goes out to Mother Nature. Without her additional snow, we may have had an enjoyable spring, but that is too ordinary. It was not like, as North Dakotans, we could not handle the snowfall, but what set this year apart is that the snow never ceased. Since the snow was also very wet, when it landed on the ground, it soaked in and froze. As the winter months continued, the snow accumulated on the ground, piling up into mounds that would take weeks to melt. When the sun did finally shine and some of the snow did melt away, it froze and the piles grew ever taller. This is simply related to the fact that the ground was frozen and none of the water could soak in and disappear. It needed to go somewhere, and this led the water to the streets.
Aside for the amount of snow that fell this year, 1997 did not have the over ground flooding that North Dakota is experiencing now. This comes back to the amount of snow that did not melt. Now, it is April and temperatures are reaching the 30’s and 40’s. This means the snow that did not melt previously is beginning to add water to the river. And, since the temperature is increasing, snow becomes rain. The water levels in rivers across North Dakota—including the Sheyenne, James, and Red—have risen to dangerous levels, threatening the residents in the 39th state.
Record snow fall plagued North Dakota in December alone. The amount of snow left people immobile and the freezing temperatures rendered the snow in the same manner. The combination turned into the nightmare now being faced by the state.
In order to solve this, citizens and lawmakers alike have turned to creating sandbags and contingency dykes throughout residential neighborhoods. The water has already broken through one dyke, since they are not meant to withstand days of pressure. This morning, my family was told to evacuate their house, which is located on 8th Ave. Later, dorm residents were asked to not return or to leave as it is. What will become of the flood of 2009? Only Mother Nature can truly tell us where our fates lie. And, knowing the unpredictable force of this woman, soon Valley City could be known as Valley Lake. It looks like we have to wait and see.

You sing it, Aretha Franklin!

I have to admit, although it is not something I wanted to say, I am entering a stage of writer's block. I am running out of material to blog on, and this is weird for me because I never run out of stuff to say. This can be a good thing, or bad, considering your point of view.
So, as I sat at Speech Practice one night and an interesting topic was brought up: Do children (today's youth) respect their elders?
Who does not remember hearing their parents say, "Respect your elders" every time we would get into a little spat with someone. Heck, we were kids. We did not know any better. But, growth and maturity come with age, and now, looking back, we did have plenty of respect for our elders if you take a look at today's youth.

What is respect? According to dictionary.com, there are 16 definitions for the word RESPECT. Here are three I find important:

to hold in esteem or honor
to show regard or consideration for
to refrain from intruding upon or interfering with

I do my observation hours out at BCN, and as I sat there one day, a student walked in crying out, "Hey douche-bag." I looked and saw that he was referencing the teacher. I was appalled! I knew if I ever called one of my teachers a douche-bag, my mouth would more than likely be tapped up tight. The teacher was very relaxed and just spoke to him back, but I still couldn't believe that I had heard that come out of his mouth in reference to a person in a position of authority.
Another personal situation I have had with this came on Saturday, April 4, during my regional tournament. My head coach asked me to give the pep talk to my kids, and so I walked in with smiles and excitement. I tried to share my enthusiasm with the kids, but most would not stop talking for me to get a word in. I told one student she had to be quiet because I was older and it was my turn to talk. She mouthed back at me, and then a junior girl stepped up, "He's not just older, he's our coach. Respect him enough to let him talk!"
I do not blame the kids though. I believe (and please, no one take this offensively) that parents are becoming younger and younger, and therefore, kids are being raised in different households than we were brought up in. Drugs, drinking, and sex are all things that are moving down in the schools. I was alarmed when I heard that a seventh grade girl at my high school was pregnant. Honestly, I didn't even know that was possible.
It comes down to what parents do an say. Since parents are still in their late teens-early twenties when they are having kids, they are still living their lives, so children are raising themselves. It is a sad notion when you walk into a second grade room and hear the F-word come out of the children’s' mouths.

"R-E-S-P-E-C-T...find out what it means to me." It is funny to say this, but it means less and less as our generations continue. It is time to teach children how to have respect once again.

I leave you with this quotation from James Baldwin:

"Children have never been very good at
listening to their elders, but they have never failed to imitate
them."