When phones didn't exist
Once upon a time, there were no phone in our houses. Things were so unexpected at that times. Specially, when some guests used to come. Every evening I waited for someone to visit, so that I get to flee from the studies. And a guest would also mean either Mom will make nice snacks, or I will get the samosas and the rasogollas from the local shop. It was really exciting to open the door and see really unexpected guests. But today, the guests come after planning 1 week in advance, and if they are coming for the first time, they will call you from every other turn, so as to make sure that they are going in the right directions.
Then there was this relatives visit thing. I really waited for my Didima and my Thakuma. Of course that would mean less studies and more pampering. My mom believed in some omens too. Like if things keep falling from hand just like that, that means someone is coming. Also, if our 'house crow' used to shouts like anything that also meant someone is coming. I really waited some lazy summer afternoons that someone will pop up the gate.
Those times of our 'snail'-mail, sometimes the letter notifying someones arrival used to reach after the person has actually arrived. Writing letter was a mandate imposed by my parents, then. We should write each month to one of our relatives. It was nice when we had some 'business' with them, like a digital watch or a hot wheels car; at other times it was quite boring. We really looked forward to the postman in the afternoon to deliver some letters, be it anything. And now all we get by post are the mundane bank statements and credit card statements, just as a reminder that someone knows my postal address. All the spam mails come in the e-mail id I have.
Then came a time, when we got our land line phone, a BSNL one. One fine day after coming from school, I saw one of those things in my house which I would have seen only on TV. Then started the neighbours flocking our house for calls from here and there. Another break from the studies, well, I was the only person who will give important messages to everyone in the neighbourhood! And, sometimes it was also nice to know what is happening in others life.
Though the phones went 'dead' often, still that was the first affect that I could feel how technology started changing our lives.
And now we have mobile phones for everyone. So, someone sneezes and we get the update. And I sneeze, the world knows. We are now very very connected, but still sometimes we are really disconnected. Wonder, where the technology will take us.
Then there was this relatives visit thing. I really waited for my Didima and my Thakuma. Of course that would mean less studies and more pampering. My mom believed in some omens too. Like if things keep falling from hand just like that, that means someone is coming. Also, if our 'house crow' used to shouts like anything that also meant someone is coming. I really waited some lazy summer afternoons that someone will pop up the gate.
Those times of our 'snail'-mail, sometimes the letter notifying someones arrival used to reach after the person has actually arrived. Writing letter was a mandate imposed by my parents, then. We should write each month to one of our relatives. It was nice when we had some 'business' with them, like a digital watch or a hot wheels car; at other times it was quite boring. We really looked forward to the postman in the afternoon to deliver some letters, be it anything. And now all we get by post are the mundane bank statements and credit card statements, just as a reminder that someone knows my postal address. All the spam mails come in the e-mail id I have.
Then came a time, when we got our land line phone, a BSNL one. One fine day after coming from school, I saw one of those things in my house which I would have seen only on TV. Then started the neighbours flocking our house for calls from here and there. Another break from the studies, well, I was the only person who will give important messages to everyone in the neighbourhood! And, sometimes it was also nice to know what is happening in others life.
Though the phones went 'dead' often, still that was the first affect that I could feel how technology started changing our lives.
And now we have mobile phones for everyone. So, someone sneezes and we get the update. And I sneeze, the world knows. We are now very very connected, but still sometimes we are really disconnected. Wonder, where the technology will take us.
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