A Grandma & her phone

I had a Grandma who lived on a small rural farm in western Minnesota. She was not a very progressive person because "all these new things are so complicated". I can definately understand given that she lived in a house with no in door running water until the late 60's. But that was more about money than conviniences.

I remember when she upgraded the in door bathroom (yes, my Dad used an out house growing up) and moved the shower. The shower was in the middle of her basement so it could use one and only drain in the house. Because this shower was in the middle of the basement, it had a circular curtain around the shower head. You can imagine the 6 in the family would make the trip down to the basement in order to shower in the middle of the basement. Not what you would call practical use of space but it was practical use of money and time. However it was kind of cool when you reached out of the shower to grab the shampoo and you ended up with a jar of homemade strawberry jam.

Then there was the progression from the party phone line to an idividual phoneline with a great rotary dial on it. I am not sure when this happened but it was a step for her. One that didn't revolve around money but around convenience. No longer having to deal with the neighbor down the way (1+ miles away that is) listening in on your private conversation.

But that is where it stopped. No need to move to the touch-tone phone or the wireless phone because they were all too complicated and the rotary phone worked just fine. She made this switch probabley in here late 50's or early 60's. Then she was set for life. No need to change, grow, or learn new and different ways.

I look at things a little differently. If you don't change and get out of your comfort zone from time to time you will grow old and start to believe the world is too complicated and because it is too complicated, you will cut yourself off from other options.

I write this at a time when I see people wanting to have everything on paper and electronically. There are pros and cons to both. But in a volunteer organization I see spending the time to send out the same communications in both formats a redundace of time, effort and communications.

I understand the people who like their rotary phone. I understand the people who like their wireless phone. But do these people understand that it takes more time and effort from volunteers to maintain and administer both types of phones?