“Ask Google!” is possibly the most common piece of advice we get these days. It speaks volumes of how far technology has come to make our lives depend on a few click of a buttons. Sure, some things are easy to do now; some we didn’t imagine until a few decades back are now possible. The smartphones, iPads and tablets are like our personal secretaries, reminding us of birthdays, anniversaries, helping book appointments, saving articles, making reading on-the-go doable, play music whenever we want. And all that is great! Really, no sarcasm.
And no, this is not an essay here in support of these advancements or even to question whether they are making us dumber and less social in the real world. For, I haven’t got an answer to such a complicated question! I wish I knew better though.
The reason I started to write this piece is because of a quiet thought that made its home in my mind the other evening. As I was walking back home from work, I started to make a mental list of things I still do the old-fashioned way. I mean, without using any form of smart-technology, whatsoever. Not many came through, but these are definitely the ones I am very particular about!
1. Post-Its & Notepads For Messages/Reminders/Lists
The habit of leaving notes behind goes back to my parents. They used to write cute ones for me, when leaving for a business tour in the wee hours or stepping out to the near-by pharmacy during my afternoon nap and so on! And it has now evolved to keeping them posted on the kitchen shelf, back of the main door sometimes, even on the pillow on special occasions! Some hang on the PC at work too, reminding me of deadlines or things-to-do. Grocery list is always made on a notepad that stays on the coffee-table. I cannot do without a small dose of writing dow my lists for the day!
2. A Travel Journal Is An Absolute Necessity
No matter how many pictures you click, you need words to seal the memories in forever. won’t you agree? I always carry a small diary with me, it allows me to jot down thoughts, poems, emotions and memories that cross my mind. Notes in my iPhone never evoke the same, for me. Colloquial usages, names of local ingredients in food, fancy street names, of that fruit seller who gave you his bit of the history of the place – it helps to remember all of that, so much more clearly in the quiet of my home and makes for a better blog post too, you know!
3. Books Should Be Made Of Paper, Only
I have never been a fan of downloading and storing bytes of e-books! While in college, I absolutely avoided studying from PDFs on my laptop. It’s no wonder how much time I spent in the library there. And might I say, it shouldn’t be very surprising to find out the first piece of furniture we bought together for our home is a beautiful tall bookcase! Kindle maybe be as good as holding a hundred books in your hands, but it can never attach the excitement the smell of a fresh book does!
4. Shopping Is For All The Senses
I am surely the one to first feel the fabric, try it on next and feel good in it while looking into the mirror before finally deciding to make the purchase. Online shopping for clothes is a definite no-no for me. And, it sort of extends to other things as well. Other than the occasional ordering of a bouquet, I hardly find myself spending money online. I have to see it, touch it, feel it all. And who does not love carrying lovely shopping bags home!
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What are the things you are still old school about? Do any of these figure? Tell me about them!
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The152Girl 
You know what my old school habit is?!
I still make phone calls to old friends even if it is for a quick chat, as opposed to whatsapp’ing or iMessage’ing them! I just think it’s a much better form of communication and a lot is conveyed through the “tone and tenner” (as Nanna would say) of the things we say..
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That’s a good one, Sunny! And am glad you take the effort to do that! 🙂
I wish I did / do that too!
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I would still love to make cards for my friends and relatives like i used to do in my school instead of purchasing them from some Archies store. It brings an immense pleasure and satisfaction at the end of the day.
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I totally agree with you Shuchi! 🙂 Any gift, if handmade, becomes priceless!
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I totally agree with you. Post-its, shopping and especially the books, oh god, the smell of the new books, will just make feel the story and the satisfaction of travelling with the story will only be from real books. But i haven’t written a diary (not that i’m a traveller to write). I’m kind of not good in writing. Just don’t know if i can get the hang of it. Other than that totally on the same page with other old fashioned way.
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I still write letters and notes for family and friends. Fortunately they reciprocate the same way! 🙂
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That’s rare! Glad to hear you take the time out to do it 🙂
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