I don't judge folks who choose to make use of all the technological devices they are able to. I'd love to have a device that I carried everywhere that allowed me to hook up to the internet at whim, to play games at the drop of a hat, and find directions without having to ask a nearby pedestrian.

At first, my decision to do without a smartphone was based off the same reticence I had towards owning a cell phone. I didn't want to always be available. My choice was proven correct when the Army demanded that I keep a cell phone on me at all times. It wasn't to keep me informed, rather it was to keep me within arms reach. I can't recall the number of times I was called in at random times just because my Sergeant had effed up, or someone was drunk, or numerous other things that in the past would have been dealt with during business hours. So as a result, I never felt the need to upgrade to a smart phone, keeping only the bare minimum that I had to.

Same with a car. Much as I like the ability to go anywhere with little notice, I find that much fewer demands are placed upon me if I make it clear that I am traveling via public transportation. I bought a car for the first time because the public transportation in my home town was absolutely awful. Having moved to a large city with a wonderful transit system, I no longer feel the need to shell out extra money for rapid response time. The few times I've needed to take a cab have still not added up to the huge amounts of gas I used to have to spend on a daily basis.

I've come to see these things as technological crutches. They are useful and wonderful to have, but in the end, are not truly necessary. I was discussing with one of my daughter's peers how to get from point a to our house, and the response was instant. "Just give the address, and I'll google map it." No thought as to knowing the general direction, or even how it related in the grand scheme of things, rather just a quick set of directions, dictated via computer, and forgotten just as quickly.

For a guy who had no trouble in Land Nav in the Army, and still to this day can describe generally the city layouts of at least 7 cities, this is disturbing to me. I like having instant recall of my favorite books in my head, rather than through a technological device. I like being able to do the math by hand, rather than relying on a calculator. I like being able to do without what is seen as necessities today.

Perhaps It's just my experience of homelessness and my experience fighting in a war. Like the NOT mad prospector in London's "Love of Live" I may be merely preparing myself for yet another famine of money and things. To be able to do without is to be able to not be beholden to things, after all. While I enjoy the trappings of modern society, I hope to never let myself atrophy to the point where they are ALL I am.

Edit: I forgot some Music! Always makes the Essay more fun! Some fun techno to serve as a counterpoint to my argument.

[video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BuuWJ5fn-_Q]