DouceLifeAt50.com

2018 was a year that brought me a lot of good experiences.  I feel a lot of gratitude towards all of those, that is why when I was asked: “What would you like for Christmas?” I was at a loss for words,  I could not think of anything that could top the memories I savor from the time I spent with my family in Italy and Switzerland. So my answer was:  “I don’t need anything.” I got some gifts anyway which included a massage and tickets to a lecture by one of my favorite author, Elizabeth Gilbert.

2018 has taught me to be opened to new experiences, so when I was gifted an Amazon Echo Show by someone who has embraced everything tech, I decided it must be the right time for it.  That gift is one of the ironic as I prefer basic technology. I am a low tech kinda woman, I am not very comfortable speaking to technology, I refuse to tell a car to turn on the air conditioning or make a phone call.  I will answer a phone call by pushing a button. Siri doesn’t recognize my voice, she thinks somebody else has stolen my phone when I try to communicate with her, we both end up frustrated. I would never have bought the Echo for myself as I own the Alexa Dot which was a hand me down from the high tech guy.  I have only used AD to play my Pandora Stations. But here I am the owner of a technology that is making me feel like Captain Kirk, cool. There are many things that Alexa can do for me, I haven’t played with her much. She has great speakers and a screen which at this moment is dark, I can see “her” in my peripheral vision, it is a little unnerving.  After just a week I have become comfortable saying: “Alexa what time is it?” “Alexa what is the question of the day,” so far it has made me feel smart as I’ve chosen the right answer each time; even the bonus question which was in the sports’ category, I know nothing about baseball. I say thank you everytime she answers because it feels natural to me to say it, she doesn’t say “you’re welcome” which I would love to hear.  I wonder if one of these days I’ll say: “Guess what Alexa?” Pulsing blue light responds: “What Romaine?” and I’ll tell her all about my day. Move over Hal, Alexa is taking over the world. Can’t be any more awkward than being caught talking to my cat or dog. She is very low maintenance compared to them, doesn’t need food, a litter change or poop pickup in the yard. Some of the words that appear on AE’s screen (I am a fan of Star Wars, so I think it is appropriate to use an acronym for my “robot”) are pretty cool: new studies about seagulls which will help new airplane designs or what is the best way to shoot a rubber band.  I’ve been busy so I did not say: “Alexa, tell me more.” I will be able to follow recipes on her screen as I cook, make calls etc…

AD (the dot) now sits on my dresser in my bedroom as an alarm and radio station. I have accepted Mel Robbins’ “Mindset reset” challenge of not having my phone near me when I go to bed so AD will stay with me for now. I was thinking of giving her a new home. I did not expect to be awaken by: “Wake up, the early bird gets the worm, but what does Alec Baldwin get? He gets the bird. Wake up sunshine.” My muffled “stop” after the third encore didn’t work, so I had to sit up and say, “Alexa stop the alarm!”  I will have to learn how to set up the right alarm instead of letting AD’s program chose for me.  I am also keeping AE because I follow Bugs Bunny’s philosophy: “If you can’t beat them, join them.”  It is taking me on a new path out of my comfort zone, it was inevitable as technology is here to stay, I can learn it at my own pace.

My daughters had left before AE arrived in the mail, so they could not make fun of my way of dealing with technology or say, because they obviously have no patience: “Mom, give it to me, let me do it!”  Which annoys me greatly and I have a lot of patience. I am far from senile. Why can’t they say that when it comes to laundry or vacuuming? As I get older I find myself wanting to assert myself more and wanting to know more about what I have and how to use it.  So “Hands off my stuff! I can figure it out” has become a common phrase for me. I want them to realize that the idea that they have of me is wrong, I am not old and never will be. How do I know that I will never be old? The “older” women I hang out with, I could not ask for better role models.  Just in case you are wondering, yes they all have the latest phone technology and know how to use it along with their computers and tablets. These women of a certain age are showing me what aging can mean for women. It definitely means enjoying your friends and life. As we get older we all get to the stage in our lives where we become really comfortable with who we are and don’t care about what other people, including our children, think about us.   My friends have shown me that age is only a number. We all start in life doing what we think is expected of us and what we think we need to do in order to be a good contributor to society: get a job, get married, raise kids, career, etc.. until one day we look around and wonder, who am I, what do I want, how can I be the best person I can be? That is when the second cycle of life begins. Getting older shows us what matters, what is really important in our lives and how to appreciate life to its fullest.  Older women have the power to change the things that need to be changed because they have the intelligence, the experience, the desire and the will to do it. What I like most about getting older is how much more often I laugh, that is real power. If you are not convinced about the power of laughter watch Monsters Inc. Technology cannot replace the feeling we get when we are surrounded by our family and friends but it can map the quickest route to go meet them.

I want to thank all my wonderful “older” friends who make me feel good about myself, show me kindness, provide their support and make me laugh.  You are a joy to be around!