But I was thinking today about what we did before computers. Do you remember?

I learned to type on an electric typewriter as a freshman in high school. I also remember using my mom's manual typewriter before those days. I can recall how hard I had to punch those keys down to make a letter. But I can also remember mom's fingers flying over the keys.

We did have computers when I went to high school, but they were the ones with the green letters on the little tiny screen made by Apple. I can remember the blinking green cursor.

This past weekend I helped my mom who is computer illiterate set her email, change passwords, reserve books online. And I kept thinking why can't she just do this?

But after thinking about it, I realize how can they be familiar with something they didn't grow up with, and haven't spent years using them as others their age do.

They are used to the days when letters were written with pen and ink, remember, before email?

I too remember when I would frequently write letters to my friend in Switzerland.

It's different today, we still keep in touch via email, but not nearly as often. I find that to also be the case with other friends who live away. Why do you suppose that is?

And what happened to sending paper birthday cards? Sometimes I feel it's not as personal to pick them online, but I do it too for convenience.

Online banking, email, electronic cards, Internet... are we eventually going to be a paperless world?

Yes.

In 30 years, will we be telling stories of the "old" technology we learned to use to our children's children?

Probably.

My point is this. My parents, who are in their 60s, aren't familiar with the computer. Some younger people ridicule that lack of knowledge.

Keep in mind that could be you or me in the next 20 years.

Even now my youngest brother who just turned 22 had to teach me how to use my Ipod and I have to admit that sometimes it still throws me for a loop.

As technology marches on, don't forget that when your computer, palm pilot, digital tape recorder dies, you can still pull out paper and write it down.