Technology

I was struck by the unreal nature of technology this weekend, how very science fiction-like our world has become. Take for example this blog. Here I am, in Baghdad, using a small laptop computer to post blogs via a wireless connection on the internet! I use instant messaging to real-time "chat" with my wife, e-mail to stay in touch with friends and family, and now I've discovered VOIP to be able to make calls over my internet using the built-in microphone on my computer to talk with my kids on the weekends. Simply amazing. And all this from a war zone!

I was talking with one of the younger Soldiers yesterday and it occurred to me, he'd never known a time without e-mail. He was laughing as I told him how, during my earlier deployments, my wife and I used to number our letters (written on paper and sent in an envelope) because mail out to the carrier was so hit and miss, letter number 11 might arrive before letter number 8. By numbering the letters, we could keep up with the news and know if we missed something referenced in a letter we hadn't yet received.

I will say, I like today's way of keeping in touch better than how I used to have it. There's something comforting about being able to read my hometown newspaper online, check my kids' grades through a web-access grading program, and keep in touch with the real world every day.

Cheers, Pearl