I think I have this working from home thing down now. It took a while, but I have a process that works for me.
I am a morning person, so I am up and working early. A breakfast bar and I am off and running (not literally, of course). I am not a coffee drinker, but I still make a cup every morning – for my wife. She loves the stuff.
I have finally found the perfect place for my small desk and computer. It is in the family room on the same wall at the TV. That means I can turn the TV on in the morning for background noise, but I am not distracted enough to stare at it.
The question is always what to pop on. Ghost shows and true crime seem to be good choices – I can hear them in the background if I focus in, but they don’t demand that I pay attention. And I can mute the TV when I want or need to. Often, I don’t turn it on for long periods of time.
But the other day it was on the Discovery Channel, and I enjoyed listening to a show about top things from the 1980s – top games, top fashion trends, top gadgets. You know the kind of show. It was fun to listen to while I worked.
When I broke for lunch, I was able to watch the episode on gadgets. It really struck me that some of those gadgets – those big old cellphones, video cameras, Sony Walkman, personal computer – are now all available in our pockets.
The smart phone of 2022 is an amazing device that has replaced many hot tech devices from 35 years ago. Add video game platform, flashlight, atlas, calculator and many more and you have a piece of technology that is stunning.
It is also something we just take for granted these days. But a current smart phone even 20 years ago would have been astounding. It is amazing what the device can do.
It made me wonder what the next few decades or more hold. What will the new devices be, and will they all be combined into a single body like a current smart phone? I have no idea, of course, but there are some things that I think would be helpful.
Something medical. Your phone (or similar device) is basically your doctor. It can sense problems with your body, prescribe a remedy – including medication – or even administer needed medicines, like a shot.
Protection, like an invisible forcefield that keeps people from getting too close to you. Honestly, there are so many unhinged weirdos these days and I would like to keep some, but not all, people at bay. The forcefield would be able to determine if someone is worthy of being in close contact with us or not. It might even be able to provide some type of self-defense. And I don’t mean people just blazing away at each other with guns, something more high-tech and less lethal. Or lethal if needed.
Something I would really love to see is an app that would correct the information you are receiving. If people started spouting conspiracy theories or other such nonsense, this app would correct him or her. It would call you out and let you know the reality. Maybe it could have the voice of the person’s mother. That is one we would hear all the time in public.
Of course, I have no way of knowing what the future holds, but it is fascinating to think about. I hope I am around long enough to see some great advances.
