Tuesday, October 23, 2007

A Multi-generational Experience

This past weekend I had a funny multi-generation experience. I was at The Call Las Vegas and drove around with a couple great friends from Redding, California, Lynne and Torston.

The first thing I did once I got to Vegas and promptly got lost on the edge of where I didn't want to go, was to stop at a cornerstore/gas station and I buy a map. How can one get around town, especially one you don't know, without a map? This was good map and it faithfully got me from point A to point B all day Thursday and Friday, until I picked up Lynne and Torston from the airport. That's when the excitement began.

Lynne had an iPhone and Torston was showing off the map search, I don't remember what site he was using, I was just thankful that I could now enjoy driving my rent-a-car upgrade around town without worring about finding my way along too. Torston was now responsible for getting us from point A to point B and that worked fine until Sunday morning when we got lost not far from home. Before we became "more lost," I pulled into a parking lot, stopped, found out where we were and where we were going in a flash, with the aid of the notes in my faithful moleskine and my handy map, I located and plotted the route to our desitination for the morning, International Church of Las Vegas.

I began laughing inside... not because of the old map and notes winning over the new technology of iPhones and internet, but because it was such a clear example of two different generations. I was very comfortable with the map; Torston, 21+/- was more comfortable with technology. Hummm.

It's not that I don't like modern technology. In fact I really do. When Bev and I went to Puerto Rico in August, the car we rented had GPS included and free since we had to wait sooooo long for the rental. It was a life saver several times and a constant laugh as we listened to the computer voice telling us when and where to turn. It was so good that I checked out getting one in Vegas, but I was too cheap to pay the 11 dollars per day plus the 50% additional cost all the different and diverse taxes added to it. The map came out cheaper, $2.50 and when it came down to the show down, I had the quick draw.

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