-- Technology is giving us more life. Is that extreme? I don't think so. Technology frees us from drudgery and waiting. Instead of standing in line at the bank between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m., we bank electronically. Instead of spending three quarters of an hour on the telephone comparing prices for airfare, we can look up all the carriers and prices online in seconds. Instead of rushing home to wait for an important phone call, we talk on a cell phone anywhere we like. Instead of driving to the library to examine the card catalogue, we log on to the library's database and check to see if the book we want is available. Instead of racking our brains and scouring our records for the perfect pumpkin pie recipe, we go to www.Epicurious.com and discover more recipes than we'll ever have time to cook.
So by freeing up our time for more important or pleasurable activities, technology gives the gift of life.
-- Advances in medical science permit my 10-year-old son, David, who has Type I diabetes, to eat pretty much the way other people do. Though he must still count carbs and take a shot before every meal or snack, he is freed from the rigidity of timed meals and carefully weighed and measured portions. This leaves him extra time to play the trumpet, zone out over the PlayStation, read "Treasure Island," become catatonic in front of the TV and memorize "I am the very model of a modern major general" (he can even carry a tune!).
-- We have the world's most wonderful neighbors.
-- Benjamin has discovered the sport of wrestling, which he fits into a schedule already packed with homework and piano. Jonathan thinks he'd like to work in a zoo.
-- We have the world's cutest and most winsome dog. Don't write and contest this. It's established fact. Teddy is a 9-month-old Keeshond who loves bananas, car rides, his Golden Retriever brother and my company. What taste!
Happy Thanksgiving.