Writing about who knows what!

Well, I thought I was behind in my blog postings, but upon looking at the syllabus, I think I'm okay. I wouldn't have been surprised if I had fallen behind since there are so many other things I prefer to do than sit in front of a computer. I use my computer a lot and it does have many advantages to doing things the old-fashioned way. There is a lot of information we would not have access to if we didn't have the web. Recently, I was talking to my mom on the phone and she told me that my stepdad had been diagnosed with diverticulitis. She was concerned that the doctor had not told him to avoid popcorn and nuts. I quickly accessed the Mayo Clinic website and told her that popcorn and nuts were no longer taboo, doctors had discovered that those foods did not negatively affect the patient. On the other hand, sometimes I feel like I am a slave to my computer and other forms of technology and I think other people feel the same way. When the weather is warm, like it is right now, I'd much rather be outside working in the yard, walking, or just enjoying the sunshine. And frankly, for all of its word processing skills, the computer can't compete with the meditative qualities of pen and paper. I don't want to return to writing papers by hand, but I do enjoy sitting down with a cup of tea and writing a letter to a friend, and I enjoy reading letters too. For some reason, I remember the thoughts conveyed in the handwritten letter far better than those in the e-mail.