I happened to read my article from last week’s editions. Wow! There were quite a few typos. I don’t see typos easily. I suffer from a mild case of dyslexia that really affects my ability to see errors. I made a fatal mistake. I didn’t let the piece sit for day and then come back to it. So sorry for the agony. Well, at least it was agony for me. This makes the point that sometimes you just want to stop and count to ten. Sit on it a night and look at life with new eyes.

I had a friend when I was a Hippie a number of decades ago who claimed he hadn’t watched TV in five years. I didn’t watch much either. I do remember watching body bags lined on airway strips from the war in Vietnam. But I had to admit I watched TV. There seems to be something noble about refusing new technologies.

I remember when my family got our first color TV. It was magnificent. But after a few months it was normative to have a color set and the “special-ness” wore off. That’s one of the problems with technology, it loses its luster quickly. I also remember my dad running two speakers from our stereo system so you could listen downstairs. It was a tinnie mono stereo system. I remember sitting down stairs with friends listening to the Beggar’s Banquet album by the Rolling Stones. And later on Sergeant Pepper’s Lonely Hearts club band by the Beatles. It is amazing what you remember and what you forget.

I have two ipods. A friend bought me both to help me on my travels around the world. They were both expensive with a lot of memory. They are two of the nicest gifts I have gotten. It allows me to carry almost my entire CD collection along with me. I also bought some Bose headphones to block out the engine noise on airplanes. And when you add some music to that from my ipod you are good to go.

Airplane travel hasn’t changed a lot in 40 years. In fact it’s a lot worse. They have found ways to jam more seats in and now you pay for your food and drinks. And the other day they charged me for a bag. And even with all that I understand most airlines are having trouble making a profit.

I use a Blackberry cell phone. I just got a new one. I lost the cords to my old ones in a motel room. And when I went to replace them it was going to cost about the same amount to line myself up with a new phone. But the phone I really want now is the iphone. A couple of friends of mine have one. They are like a mini computer in your pocket for $300 bucks.

I really don’t like learning new technologies though. I do well if someone can demonstrate how to use the devices for me. But for the most part I have to intuit my way through a new device. This is one of the reasons I prefer Apple products. I need a new computer now. My old Mac is showing signs of an impending death.

Actually though I’d like to just use pencil and paper. There is just something great about feeling your words hit the page. I guess Bill Clinton wrote his life story with pen and yellow legal pad. I want to do that. But someone has to type it somewhere. All the better it’s not me. I can’t tell how I am spelling the words anyway.

There has to be a place in our lives where we shut out technology. We need those times where a black and white TV will do just fine. And where you have to use a pay phone. Technology has a way of taking the humanness out of life. I tried to go without TV when my wife was gone on a weekend. I did read quit a bit. But I decided I was addicted to it. I actually had withdrawals.

I forgot my cell phone on a three-day trip recently. I experienced panic. I thought what would happen if something happened at home? Then it struck me what did I do before we had cells? I used hotel phones. I usually called collect. And things worked out just fine. I suppose you could make the case that we had to trust God more when we didn’t have cells.

Spiritual retreats have taken on new importance. I have a banker friend who took two weeks a year, rented a cabin in the mountains and just vegetated. He didn’t shave which was a premium experience for him. He said it allowed him to do his job better. He needed to get away from technology and people to stay human.

I think it is advisable that we all count to ten and get away from the buzz around us. However you do it you must. Technology will turn us into animals if we aren’t careful.