Old School Cool

I have realized beyond a shadow of any reasonable doubt that I am decidedly old school.  I resist the temptation to say simply old, because I do make an effort to keep up with current trends in the arts, music in particular, and technology.  Being an IT tech has meant constantly updating my skills to suit both changes in the devices I support as well as changes in the organizations I work for.  But I do have my preferences, and they tend towards late 20th century bric-a-brac.

Over the late summer I’ve returned to reading.  A lot.  Like powering through a 300 page book in a weekend.  But while I could easily purchase or borrow many of these books on my Kindle device, I still prefer holding a book in my hand and turning the pages, as uncomfortable as that may be.  And a trip to the library last week was a reason to get excited and celebrate joyously, which is not what most people do (although to be fair, I don’t recall most people I know loving libraries like I did… and Frederick has a great library by the way, I highly recommend it, it’s large and has good diversity, and a nice collection of books on CD which has turned my slog of a daily commute into something more enjoyable).

Most people use their phones to tell time, but I asked for – and received (thank you darling) – an old school analog Timex watch, which I wear regularly.  Someone even asked me why I check my watch so often, which I find a bit funny.  For some reason I find it comforting to be able to glance down and see the second hand sweeping around, and that little tiny window that shows the date.  Although I’ve also been reminded that leather watchbands still leave something to be desired, the part of the strap that holds the excess length when it’s closed has already broken off.  But I hate metal watch bands, I find the interlinking connections catch the hairs on my arm and pull them painfully.  First world problems I’m sure.

I’ve thought about carrying around a notebook, but I’ve made a concession to a digital recorder (which reminds me, I need to check the batteries on the darn thing if I want to use it again).  I still miss the old typewriter sometimes, there was a wonderfully visceral feeling to banging away on keys and listening to the click clack of the device as you fed your need through it.  But I’ll stick with my computer now.  I picked up a Chromebook recently, though I haven’t gotten much use out of it, I find the screen resolution to be not sharp enough for my old weak eyes.  I tried Scrivener for a short while, a program for writers, but still prefer a regular word processing program.  I did make a concession to using Dropbox to back up my writing files, which is seriously convenient as well, making them accessible from any location with an internet connection.

Modern conveniences really aren’t bad.  It’s a function of what you remember, what you learned, and what you prefer.  And it’s faster to look at my wrist then it is to pull my phone out of my pocket and punch a button.  Sometimes old school can be faster than new school, if not superior.  Use what works for you, and ignore the rest.  Me?  I still would love having a typewriter, even if all it does it gather dust.