About a month ago, my 16-year-old Buick went into Hospice care, and shortly thereafter exited to that old junk yard in the sky. A shiny, new (to me) Hyundai Sonata entered, along with a couple of bells and whistles I had not experienced previous to this, like seat warmers. It was all very exciting.
I had heard great things about seat warmers, but couldn't help hearing my mother whispering in my ear, "A luxury, not a need." In addition, I was introduced to Blue Link, a technological marvel that apparently does many things, like locate and retrieve, navigate, and more.
I sat in amazement as the car salesman downloaded the contents of my cell phone into the car's memory, not sure at all that this was a good idea, or even necessary. Nevertheless, with the download complete, I realized I had a lot to learn.
I am a Baby Boomer, and while I have always welcomed new technology, I do look back somewhat fondly on the days of television, as just one example, when you plugged it in, turned it on, and then watched. This is not to say that I don't enjoy the technological advances of TV remotes and recording devices; I just happen to find it all very confusing, not to mention expensive, but I digress.
Blue Link is a very handy tool. At a cost of about $100 per year, some of the features included are: navigation, auto-locate in case of theft, and valet-watch, just to name a few, I couldn't help but hear my mother in my ear again, "Luxury, not a need."
Time passed, and I never got around to pushing the Blue Link button and spending 30 minutes hearing the explanation as to how it all worked. So, with two months left on my free trial, it became clear to me that I needed to get about the business of canceling the service before they automatically began charging me.
Over a period of two weeks I spent considerable time trying to get in touch with Blue Link by phone. I called, followed the prompts, and then waited … and waited … and waited, sometimes on hold for as long as 45 minutes. My excited anticipation would increase when I would hear the familiar "One moment, please" just as you are about to be connected to a person. Alas, once that voice appeared, I was promptly disconnected.
As my free service deadline approached, I knew I had to do something. Accordingly, I broke the rules. The final attempt at contact found me ignoring the proper selections and going straight to "Push 3 for purchase." As you might imagine, that one worked.
A very youthful sounding young woman, who I imagined to be in her early 20s, engaged me with a cheerful eagerness that was admirable ---that is, until I told her I wanted to cancel, and she not as cheerfully explained that I had selected the wrong option. I explained my previous experiences and that this was the only way to get to a person. She was not as eager, but to her credit, she did assist me, but not before entering into fear-mode. Here's how the conversation went.
Young Woman: Do you understand that you have two free months left?
Me: Yes.
Young Woman: Do you understand that when you have a valet park your car that you will no longer be able to know if they have driven it further than necessary?
Me: I don't really go anywhere that has valet service anymore – too expensive and, really, I can park my car myself. But, when I did go to places that had valet service, everything turned out OK.
Young Woman: Do you understand that you will no longer be able to talk on your phone using the hands free service?
Me: I don't like to talk on the phone at all, and so I never talk on the phone in my car. I'm good.
Young Woman: Do you understand that if your car is stolen that we will not be able to auto-locate it?
Me: I have insurance and depending on what they've done to it, you don't always want it to be located.
Young Woman: Well, do you understand that if your air bags deploy we won't be able to know and send someone to you?
Me: If my air bags deploy, people are probably going to notice and call someone.
Young Woman: Do you understand that you will not be able to use the Navigation system any longer, and you may become lost?
Me: I have a free app for Navigation, and before that I used MapQuest, and I sometimes even ask people for directions. If I get lost, I'm pretty sure I can find my way out of the situation at no charge.
Young Woman: Do you understand that if you park in a garage and forget where you parked that we won't be able to tell you where your car is?
Me: I usually notice where I park. If I think I'll forget, I jot a note on a piece of paper in my purse and refer to it in times of forgetfulness. It's never failed me.
I finally had to stop her. I could tell she was terrified that this technology would not be able to save me in times of great need.
Technology is good in many ways and for many reasons, but it's also changed us.
Most of us come from pioneer stock. Our ancestors didn't have cell phones or navigation, at least not the technological kind – they used the stars to navigate, they depended on themselves and each other, and they survived.
We've stopped exploring and discovering. We've become disconnected from the earth and nature. We are afraid of things like aging, being alone, and are too fearful to venture out of our self-made comfort zone cages.
Accordingly, we miss a lot.
In the end, if a valet drives your car too far, and the only problem you have is not knowing, then as far as problems go, you're in really good shape. Technology is all well and good, but we must also use our own wits to navigate through our days.
Throw that $100 you didn't spend on Blue Link in your savings account, let it accumulate, and then take a trip to someplace new and, by all means, get lost. It'll be the best and most exciting thing you've done in some time. At that point, you will have found your way.