The technologically challenged (those who are without...)

It is hard enough to be without Internet at home, but I am also saddled with a primitive phone.... you know, the kind where when you are trying to send a text message you have to press the 7 four times to get the letter "s"...   And I really don't remember how to get a capital "s" without having it be the beginning of a sentence....  Plus, it's what is known as a "GoPhone", meaning that it costs 25 cents a minute to talk (20 cents per text)... yes, I pay $25 quarterly to keep the phone active.  People who know that are afraid to call or text me. 
When I lost my job a month ago the GoPhone account had 1,200 minutes on it...a week later, thanks to automatic replenishment it added 100 minutes more or less.  I have done well, there are over 800 minutes left after 30 days... 

The bigger problem comes when I try to conduct any kind of personal business.  It's still 25 cents a minute when I am on hold, for interminable lengths of time, with the hospital billing office, or my mortgage lender.  Or, worse, I get in to a telephone answering system that wants me to type in a persons name to get that person on the phone.... no letter keypad.... major frustration.

I have spent a lot time trying to explain to people that I have no Internet at home.  And inevitably they say, "what about your phone?" This is what is known as a "candy bar" phone:

It's small, has no internet capability, and (obviously) no keyboard.  It is historic, primitive, ....prehistoric....  

For over 9 years my employer provided me with a cell phone.  And as advances were made in the technology we got better phones.  I had the equivalent of a Samsung Galaxy X5 phone, right up until the moment I was fired.  I had a separate wifi device as well.  

Those days are over.  Plus, being unemployed, I am not all that anxious to run out and start spending upward of $45 a month for a cell phone with hot spot capabilities.  

So, I spend a lot of time frustrated, trying to communicate with people via email, even though that means that I must go to the library every single day it is open, because they have free wifi.  I have advanced a little bit though, I can now say that I have Skyped, and I have been to Google Hangouts.  I prefer Skype, and it's great when you are on free wifi at the library.  None of this is helpful to me when I am at home, looking to communicate, or simply to get a weather forecast.  (FYI: I cancelled television service 8 months ago, I do not have an antenna, and I have yet to find a local radio station that gives the kind of weather forecast I am looking for.)

Anyway... the moral of this story is: be grateful if you hold technology in the palm of your hand, and have it available for use 24/7.  And please,...please be mindful of the other guy, who has very limited technology and may not be in touch with the world for the larger portion of the day.

AFTERWARD

Here I must make a few acknowledgements.... primarily I want to thank my niece Bev for giving me her old Ipad... I am not Apple inclined, but I have found this device not only easy to use, but invaluable for use on Skype, Google Hangouts, and to surf the internet while waiting for my sometimes extremely slow OLD laptop to catch up.  (so, so slow)

I want to thank friend Anna, for calling me on Skype to help me establish that I had a good, working connection, and can actually talk to people, not just message everything.  Plus my ancient earphones work with this Ipad.  Also, thanks to Anna for directing me to a local Re-Employment networking group.  (It is good to have a chance to chat with others who are looking for work. - I am not alone.)

And thank you to those who have contributed prayers, cash (R, and V), or taken the time to get together with me for a meal (LW, GS, KBQ).