Early in my career it was a sign of status to carry a pager. These were the single function kind. Limited to merely buzzing. They were expensive. If you saw one it was almost certainly hanging on the hip of a doctor. Probably one playing golf.

Imagine how cool it was when we finally got one for our service tech. No more guessing about when to call the office. No more worry about what had happened since the last call.

Some years later digital pagers made the scene. And after a while my office got them for all the technicains. Now we were able to respond to any specific telephone number. Wow! Bosses, spouses, co-workers, anyone could get in touch with you.

Next came those early, crude cell phones. Again, the docs got them, and perhaps attorneys and high-powered executives. Time progressed. A few phones made it into the hads of the techs. Accountants had a fit. The progress of technology almost came to an aburpt end when cell phone rates were north of 50 cents per minute.

Rates retreated. Phone prices dropped. Cell phone budgets expanded. The march of technology continues. A few years back school children started carrying pagers. This year my 16 year old daughter felt that a cell phone was a necessity. Her reasoning? One of the forms she brought home asked for the student's cell number. Ah ha! Proof positive that having a cell phone was required by her school administration.

Where will it end? Today I found myself out of range from cell coverage for most of the day. I was able to carry on extended conversations with my traveling companions. We enjoyed sustained periods of quiet reflection. At times, all three of us were talking at once, and not to each other. That was during the brief periods of adequate signal.

Once I thought it was the height of cool to have a pager. Then I wasn't complete, technically, without a cell phone. Now what do I think? I think the pinnacle of luxury, the true sign of status, is the ability to turn off the cell phone. Yes, place yourself beyond reach. Dare to be different. Place yourself as master of your technology and not slave to reachability.

Ah. Dare to dream............
9:24:02 PM    comment []