We Have It Good

So today I decided to get out of the house and head down to my local Panera to get a little work done. After ordering and finding a table, I proceeded to pull out my iPhone to check my messages. Then, since my food had not yet arrived, I pulled out my Barnes & Noble Nook (an eReader that I absolutely love, by the way). Shortly thereafter my food was ready and I enjoyed a delicious sandwich while escaping into the book I am currently reading. After my meal, I opened up my laptop case and pulled out my MacBook Pro. While the computer was firing up, it hit me. I stopped, sat back, and asked myself, "Brent, do you realize what you have in front of you?" And I wasn't referring to the remains of my Bacon Turkey Bravo sandwich.

I had three computers, neatly lined up on the table, staring up at me as if to say, "Do you realize how good you have it?" And at that moment, I was reminded how far we've come. When I began teaching 15 years ago, I didn't have a computer in my classroom, much less the Internet. Yet at that moment, I had on my table a phone capable of so much more than making calls, a device with instant access to over two million books, and a computer that puts unlimited information at my fingertips in a matter of seconds (not to mention free wifi).

So the next time I impatiently tap my finger while waiting for a slow internet connection or sigh because my cell coverage is poor, I hope I remember today and think back to what it was like when I went to a restaurant for a different reason -- to simply eat. 

---