Password?

It seems we can't do anything now days without a password. We log in / we log out / we're asked our user id name and our password. I am wondering what's going to happen if we all have a moment, a memory lapse, an overload of our brain cells, and we all just go blank on our passwords. Will the world stop spinning? Will the lights go out? Will cable disconnect? Will our "land" lines and cell phones cease to exist? Will everything just stop?

Oh my! I can see it now, I arrive home and my DVR has not taped my shows, eek - oh no, oh wait it'll be okay, I can go to FANCAST.com or HULU.com and I can watch them there. Eeeek oh wait, I've forgotten my password for my computer and can't log in, how on earth can I continue to exist on this earth without my lap top? Whew - wait, it's okay, I can use my cell phone and connect to the Internet. Oh no, I've forgotten my password on my cell phone, what will I do ? How can I continue without a connection to the outside world???? No cell coverage, no emails, no Internet, no TV, no cable, oh my what has happened?

It's 1965, I'm 4 years old. We don't have cable, we don't have cell phones, no laptops or Internet (whatever that is), and we have a "land" line but it's a party line. I know some of you are thinking, what in the world is a party line phone, sounds fun - can I have one? Well, a party line phone is where several people "share" the same line. Party line means you can pick up your phone and hear a conversation that doesn't involve you. (Gives a new meaning to wire tapping and eavesdropping). Also, my TV doesn't have a remote control, and it's not a flat screen or HDTV or Blue-Ray Definition, it's a TV that's the size of a 26 inch in a console cabinet that would hold a 52 inch TV. Also, I only have 3 channels - ABC/NBC/CBS. Believe it or not, the TV channels would actually go OFF the air around midnight, how did we cope with that ???

I forgot one of my passwords recently and had to answer a series of questions that apparently I had randomly picked and answered previously. Question 1: Mother's maiden name, okay that's easy. Question 2: Your favorite movie: Okay, that's only between 2-3 movies. Question 3: your favorite pet. Okay that could be based upon the time frame I set up this account, would that be a pet from the past or a present pet. Oh yea, and now remember, your answers are case sensitive. Oh great, was I in an "all caps mode" that day, or a lower case mode, or a first letter uppercase and the rest lower case? Oh no, I only have 4 chances before I'm locked out of the system ! Okay, great, I'm locked out, so I have to call customer service to speak to a representative.

The following is a replay of the phone call: "Thank you for calling *****, please listen to the following menu closely before making your selection. For English press 1, Para español aprieta 2." (it doesn't allow me to press 1 until it has given the same instructions in Spanish). At this point I start to wonder a few things, why does it only give you the choice of English or Spanish? What about the Chinese? 对汉语评论 3. What about Dutch? There are other nationalities living in America besides English and Spanish. So if we're going to offer options, I think we need to cover them all ! Oh yea, back to the phone call. After finally being able to press 1 for English, I can continue. "To better serve you please verbally answer the following questions. Please state your name. (Terri). I'm sorry, that answer was not understood, were you trying to say Mary? (No). Please state your name (now, in a louder voice - TERRI). Thank you Terri. Now is this the number you are calling about ###-###-####? (No). Alright, please enter or verbally say the number you are calling about. (601-###-####). Thank you, you entered 601-###-####, is this correct? (Yes). Please choose from the following menu so we can further assist your call. Choose 1 for bill balance, 2 for technical support, 3 for claims, 4 for long distance, 5 for (who can remember). (Okay, none of the choices are what I want - I want to talk to an actual person, so I choose 0.) I'm sorry, you have pressed an invalid key. Please choose from the following menu. Choose 1 for bill balance, choose" (okay you get the point - it's pointless).

By this point in my selection I have forgotten why I called, who I called, and why I even care. What happened to customer service where you talked to an individual? What can a computer tell me, how can a computer make me feel my problem is being addressed, being handled, and can make ME feel better that it's resolved? Last time I checked, metal boxes (computers/TVs/printers/etc) have no way of having feelings or real thoughts. Only programmed answers.

Is the world better now that we're so advanced? Isn't it great to pop a hotdog in the microwave for 15 seconds compared to boiling it for 30 minutes? Isn't it great to record your shows indefinitely rather than having to be home and watch it through the commercials or having to miss it all together? Isn't it great walking into the gym and "swiping" your card, or placing your thumb on the finger scan than walking in and giving your name? Isn't it great walking up to your car, hitting a button to enter because the "smart key" is in your pocket? Isn't it great just pushing a button to start your car without a key? Wow, technology.

I remember actually baking a cake once upon a time, using cake flour, milk, eggs, sifting, beating by hand and cooking a cake. Then there were cake mixes, all I did was add water/oil and eggs. And now I just pick up the phone, place an order and poof - there's my cake.

Back in the day if someone had used the term "speed dial" we would think they really knew how to dial a rotary phone really fast. Yep, dialing a few phone calls from a rotary phone and your fingers would have carpal tunnel syndrome for real!

My brain is a jumbled mess of passwords/codes/sign-on ids and more. But yet, I have no memory of phone numbers, that's what my cell phone is for and if I lose it, I'd be totally lost in this world. I'd be like a zombie wandering around wondering how I could call with having no numbers, it's a frightening thought! Have you ever gone through the day and realized your cell phone hasn't rung or beeped showing a new text all day and you wondered if your phone was still working? Or maybe all those in your phone all went to party somewhere and left you behind? Or they're all on a yacht soaking up the sun and left you here to wonder where they are and why they've not called or texted? When I think of texting, I think of my mom. She never got or understood this function, and often called it tex-mex.

We can email/fax/text/ etc in an instant. We use our phone to take pictures, record videos and conversations, text and even make a phone call. Do people still hand write letters and buy stamps?

I still have to ask the question, "has technology improved our lives or has technology made us lazy and less involved"? I think there are times we need to "go back in the day", go visit someone in person to say hi, have a family gathering, a family/friend reunion and talk about the good old days. I think we all need some reflection on our lives both past and present. We all need to use more customer service, friend service and relative service and be better people.