XX: Why are you so old school?
R9: Cause I want to be.
XX: Yeah, but you. You who went to school to be a network admin, you who can figure out any single gadget there is. You still use a daily planner. You write everything down on paper.
R9: So what's wrong with that? I like paper.
XX: It's just odd that's all.
My friend tells me this as we paruse around the clearance calendar/planner section at Barnes & Noble's. I've always had a planner, since well...since forever.
For my graduation I received lots of gifts. Most of them were stationary, day planners etc. My best friend gave me a one of the first Palm Pilots out there. This was back in 1999 btw.
I fiddled with it. I figured it out without the instructions. But I just didn't like it. So there it sat and still sits, year in and out, collecting dust. I didn't find it helpful to learn how to re-write the alphabet so a palm pc could read my writting, when I could just write it down on paper.
While looking around I stopped to take out my leather day planner and look at it. The cover is nice and soft from how often I've used it. It smells great, from being worn down. I love it. Yet somehow, I feel odd. I have everything at work & home, appointments, meetings, address books, etc, all on my PC.
It would be so much easier to get a Blackberry, Palm Pilot, Pocket PC, and just synch up with it. Outlook, Gmail, Yahoo, all at my finger tips, to use whenever I want. Any and everything available at the push of a button. But one of these little Mini-PC's can't replicate the doodles on a calendar day. Or the little notes scribbled next to some event, at a moments notice. Or the feeling of looking at my address book and seeing the phone number that some girl wrote down so I could call her. They can't leave little messages that I can write down on how to put my life together when an epiphany comes along.
Suddenly I hear someone talking. "So what are you doing?" I'm puzzled. I think "are you talking to me?" This older man is walking towards me talking. "I've told you I can help you. Just tell me when you need the money."
I notice he has an earpiece on him. You know the wireless bluetooth one that makes you look like a Borg from StarTrek. He walks past me. Talking away, oblivious that he's talking loudly. He should be more careful, he's telling his whole financial situation and how much he's got to the world.
I glance around me. More than half the people have phones clipped to their belts. Mini-PC's pinned to them. Most of them are chatting away into space, while the other person on the other end is doing the same probably in some other bookstore somewhere else.
Do I trust my information to one little device? I pull out my phone, from inside my pocket. It's one of those new Samsungs that does just about anything. It's mostly an MP3 player, albeit I never use it or download music to it. I don't use it really but to take a picture here and there or a video, and the occasional phone call. So many features.
CRUNKKKCCCCHHHH!!!!
XX: What the?
R9: What happend?
Mr. Fancy Pants telling his whole financial situation just dropped his Blackberry. It broke in half. He's making a scene, cussing etc.
I spot a nice stationary calendar/day planner refill in the 2007 clearance items. I open my planner and compare the size to make sure it'll fit. It does. It's nice stationary, the printing is nice and raised, very fancy.
XX: (While on phone/Palm PC) Find one old school?
R9: Yep yep. 60% off too. Ready to go?
XX: (Still on phone. Nods yes.)
I pay and me and XX leave the store. On the way out, a young girl passes us and has a newly wrapped pink leather planner in her hands. Her mom just bought it for her.
I smirk, maybe not so old school after all.