Staying Connected...

Last Thursday was my daughter’s class trip to the Camden Aquarium. I was able to go along as a chaperone. My daughter had to ride on the bus while I maneuvered through Philadelphia traffic in my car. The students had several sessions at the aquarium where they would meet up with their assigned group. The best part of the trip was a behind the scenes tour of the largest tank. We saw the tank from the top. Very cool! The tank was huge and included several sea turtles, a hammerhead shark, rays and schools of fish.

When the bus returned to the school, the children departed the bus with a reminder that they were responsible for all their electronic items. My daughter and I got in the car. We drove one block before she announced that she left her MP3 player on the bus. I turned the car around only to see the bus pulling out of the school parking lot. To put it mildly…my daughter was upset. Actually, she was almost inconsolable. After several phone calls to the bus company, her MP3 player was found. The problem was that I had pick up the MP3 player between the hours of 8:00 and 5:00 M-F at the bus terminal (45 minutes away).

Picking up the MP3 player was not an easy task since I work full time. I left early this morning so I would make it to the bus terminal by 8:00. I am listening to the local radio station for traffic updates. The road to the bus terminal is notorious for traffic jams. The road is old, surrounded by farmland, and comprised of a single lane in each direction. During the “morning show”, the radio station was promoting an ATT phone that gives instant access to Facebook, Twitter and the Internet.

It was all about staying connected…at all times. As I am listening to the radio promotion about gadgets, I noticed a sign on the road. It was not the first time I saw the sign. Signs like these are common in certain areas of Pennsylvania.

I did not see an Amish Horse and Buggy this morning. However, I did pass an older Amish woman pulling a wagon full of supplies, a young Amish boy crossing the road and a young Amish girl riding her bicycle.



I wondered what it would be like: no car, no Internet and no cell phone. Social networking would happen at the produce auction I passed on the way rather than on sites such as Facebook, My Space or Twitter.

They would definitely not be driving 45 minutes to pick up their nine year old daughter’s MP3 player.

It is hard to imagine…. I would miss the Internet most of all. Immediate access to information such as phone numbers, maps, my daughter's school and work.

What would you miss?