PRL WRITES

by Paula Lonergan
Vol 2 Issue 4

The other day I said out loud to my husband, "I didn't know anything before the internet." Then, I sighed.

My reason for saying such is we were talking about our recent trip to New York. I mentioned needing to find out some specific information. I'm not even sure what it was now. However, immediately I thought I'll go online and look it up.

I started to think what I did before the internet. How did I find things out? Where did I get information? Was I just in ignorance? Were there details in life that I just did without or found out about "when I got there" or "when it came around." I'm not the only one who is internet attached.

Grandmother in Virginia, doesn't have a computer. She had an answering machine off and on. At least until it is deemed broken by my Grandfather and he unplugs. So if you call her and the machine doesn't pick, you'll know my Grandfather was on a shut-off spree.

So my non-technological Grandma will even call me and ask me to look up something for her on the internet. Most of the times, it's about various health issues. Of course, I gladly research for her and mail it to you. Yes, I snail mail it to her. Remember she doesn't have a computer.

Then, there's my mother. I bought her and my dad an email machine a year ago. Mostly, it's my dad who checks it from day to day. He doesn't write anyone though. He only checks and reads the messages. Maybe one day, he'll venture into two-way communication.

Occasionally, my mom will tell me to look up something on the internet. Or she give me a website she heard about on t.v. She give me a web address. Most times, it's missing parts of it. She hasn't quite got down the full concept of what it all stands for.

I am always searching for information on the net. It's sad when I think about it. Whenever I have a question about nearly anything I immediately go to yahoo, or askjeeves, without giving it a second thought.

.I'm still back to the question, what did I do before the internet when I needed to look up something. I truly can't remember. Maybe I was ignorant about so much as I mentioned earlier. Or perhaps I was just content to know less, to find out as I went along, or not to concern myself with so many details about everything and anything.

Do you remember what life was like without the net? If you are reading this now, I bet you don't. But it's cool, you're not the only one caught in that web.

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