“Coming Late to Tech”

 

            While everyone around me updated phones with each configuration of the devices, I held on to my iPhone 4 with tight resolution because it still worked. The more phones cost, the more I convinced myself that I could wait. My trusty iPhone 4 never failed me, but in 2021 my son convinced me that it was time to rejoin the world with newer tech. I welcomed an iPhone SE that I basically used exactly like my old, limited phone—calls to my family, texts to friends and family, and very few apps all neatly arranged into categories like SOCIAL, PRODUCTIVITY, or ENTERTAINMENT. Basically, I hummed along the same phone usage as I had for the previous dozen years, except for the camera. I fell in love the convenience of having a decent camera that fit in my pocket or purse.

            Fortunately, my son pushes me onto new tech that forces me to stretch into different areas. For last Christmas, he purchased a pair of AirPods for my long neighborhood walks, which I took with nature as my background beat. Each morning, I’d select from YouTube favorite musicians that put pep into my pace. He also gifted me with an iWatch 9.3.1 for my birthday.

            Learning how to use the watch proved more of a challenge. On one of my first walks, I unknowingly swiped at or tapped onto the little green walking person and accidentally recorded that walk with all this wonderful data. When I tried to replicate gathering the information for my walk the next day, the tech defeated me. Once I arrived home, with watch in hand, I farted around until I saw the option for LIST. 

            “I love lists,” I thought. Selecting that option made all of those small icons that crowed my watch face change into a respectable and manageable list that let me discover WORKOUT. Dancing around the bedroom with excitement, I saw the option for “Outdoor Walk” and selected it. I never ventured beyond that choice.

            Another overworked knee (too many times up the steepest neighborhood hill accompanied by sweeping leaves from the house front) meant nursing the injury and not returning to my daily walks. Our family Christmas gift, an exercise bike, came to the rescue to help me get back into healthy knee shape. The first time on it, I wore my watch and left it on the “Outdoor Walk” option. I felt pretty silly when I scrolled further down the options and found both “Cycle” choices. Yesterday, though, I ventured down the choices on my WORKOUT option and discovered “Dance”.

            With AirPods in place and Nickelback blasting, I danced from room to room for thirty minutes! I pulled into muscle memory for old drill team routines. 3 Doors Down and I swirled and pumped. Evanescence accompanied me though adding small weights to my spins and twirls.

            This new tech allows me to have accountability for my exercise goals, but it also adds an element of fun. I don’t know what today will bring, but I fill thankful that this new tech becomes part of my daily routine.

 

Copyright 2023 Elizabeth Abrams Chapman