Running Late

While in New York, Craig and I went to see the Mets host the Phillies. I looked forward to seeing Citi Field for the first time, while Craig looked forward to seeing rowdy New York fans. Craig and I planned to walk the 1.5 miles to the train station and ride the rails to the game. I wore jeans because I knew I might get cold. I packed water and some food because I knew we might get hungry. We hustled out the door a few minutes behind schedule, which has been typical behavior for the two of us lately. Aware that we were running late, I walked the best speed-walk that my short legs could carry me. 

I checked the time after we had walked about half a mile. It was just past five and we were hoping to make the 5:13 train. With the realization that speed-walking simply wasn't going to be good enough, we began to run. Craig offered to take my backpack and I handed it off to him as he broke into a near sprint. I trailed behind, jogging in my jeans and hiking sandals. My jeans complained about being used inappropriately, while my heavy sandals slapped loudly with each step. Craig tried to encourage me to run faster, but I didn't feel the urgency that he did. He gave up on me and sprinted ahead in hopes that he could buy our train tickets while I caught up. He flew down the sidewalk, hopped over curbs, and dashed across the street. As he rushed across the road, the contents of my backpack turned on him. A water bottle splatted to the ground and an apple rolled into the street. Pedestrians in my home town are a rare sight to see, but Craig was lucky to have one near enough who picked up the apple and tossed it back to Craig. Craig fumbled the apple due to the pedestrian's throwing error, but this did not prevent Craig from continuing his sprint. He rounded the corner and stayed focused on his goal. By the time I neared the train station, Craig was out of sight. I checked the time once more and saw that it was 5:12. I reached the home stretch and knew I still had a chance. I lunged across the final street that separated me from the train station, while making sure the cars would be kind enough to let me cross. I turned the final bend and took the stairs two at a time up to the tracks. I crossed my fingers that Craig would be waiting there with tickets in hand. 

Instead I found a dozen or so Mets fans among other passengers standing impatiently by the tracks. With a glance to the overhead sign I learned that the train was delayed by fourteen minutes. I walked slowly down the stairs to find Craig. We calmly bought our tickets and headed back upstairs to wait with the others. As sweat poured down our faces and through our clothes on the especially humid July day, we concluded that we could have walked and still made the train. But where's the fun in that?

Giving Credit Where Credit Is Due

As a special education teacher, I embrace the use of many different technologies we have available. In special ed, these technologies allow children to become more independent in a variety of tasks. A wheelchair or walker is a wonderful tool for a child who cannot walk. Picture cards and communication devices allow children to talk. A child who continues to struggle with math facts may use a number line. Each of these technologies, and many more, are implemented with the goal of making children more independent and less reliant on adults to help them. The ultimate goal is that as they develop they can become less reliant on the technologies as they grow physically and cognitively.

However, I have two major issues with how technology is viewed today. The societal view seems to define technology as anything that has a power button. Secondly, the media tends to relay the message that all technology will make life better. These two ideas would be like giving a child an electric wheelchair when he could manipulate a non-electric wheelchair. Worse still, we could give a child a wheelchair who only has minimal difficulties with walking. In both of these cases, the child would receive more than necessary, resulting in a loss of skills and muscle tone. In my opinion, as our access to electronic technologies increase, we are losing many necessary skills in the process. There are positives to things like televisions, cell phones, computers, and calculators. But I believe these items have also led to decrease in creativity, memory, planning skills, and community building. We are not building these skills because we have equipment to do it for us.

That being said, I owe a “thank you” to a device that I continue to insult and consider to be unnecessary. Recently, I went to Pittsburgh to visit some friends. We planned to go to see the Pirates play the Red Sox. I volunteered to hold two of the four tickets since I had a backpack with me. The four of us arrived at the stadium and I went to retrieve the tickets. Within a few seconds I remembered that I had taken the tickets out to find my bus fare which had fallen to the bottom of the backpack. The tickets were sitting on a table in the house several miles away. I panicked, realizing that my friend and I would not be able to enter the stadium. Someone made a suggestion that we use the iPhone. The tickets I left behind were printed tickets, so the tickets were saved in E-mail form. Like magic, we were able to use the iPhone as our tickets and enter the game.

The ticket lady is trying to figure out how to scan the phone

If this tool hadn't been available, I believe we would have made due. We could have found a creative solution, made alternate plans, or bought more tickets. Though the night would have been fine either way, I was appreciative of getting to go to the game. I hadn't seen the Red Sox in person before. I learned that Red Sox must have a really good special effects crew, because they sure don't look that sloppy on tv.

Thank you, iPhone, for allowing me to be careless and forgetful without having to face any long term consequences.