Last week, we had one of those February days that tease us with hints of the coming spring. Having worked inside most of the day, I was picking my way home via the back roads from the local Wal-Mart Super Center, trying to miss the 5:00 traffic. The many things on my “to do” list cluttered my mind as I rounded a curve and came upon a young man on a bicycle, pedaling quickly toward his destination. In the field next to him was an (apparently) unrelated young man on a horse, carrying a rope in one hand, and cantering along…while talking on the cell phone he held in the other hand. I had to smile at the incongruity of the scene.

Cell phones are a fairly new feature in my life; I find them both a convenience and a nuisance. There are times when I NEED to be unreachable. What could be so important for the horseman to discuss that it couldn’t wait until he completed his ride? Surely a ride on such a nice day would be one of my “unreachable” times.

Why was I so irritated the cyclist sharing the road with me was in front of me instead of behind me? He was moving steadily to his destination, more quickly than the horse, but more slowly than my car.

As I pondered the answers to my questions, it was not difficult to make the mental leap from the technology which is cell phones and automobiles to that which is computers. I must admit that I now complete many formerly manual tasks on my PC every day. My computer contains my calendar, address book, birthdays of friends and family, all of which used to be kept in a well-worn book, or penciled on the wall calendar. My computer is my primary research tool, accessing the vast reaches of the Internet, interacting with others of similar interests, and comparison shopping for the best features and prices of major purchases. My biggest research tool used to be the set of World Book Encyclopedias my folks purchased, in hopes the information they contained would serve my needs for several years. My tax records are now maintained in Excel spreadsheets, instead of on the green columnar pads I learned to use as an Accounting student. When I read, I still prefer to hold the book in my hand, as opposed to viewing it on my monitor or listening to an audio book. However, I can search for, reserve and renew books at the local library or at any academic library in the state…all from my computer. My computer provides storage for photos, though they are not much more logically arranged on the computer than they ever were in photo albums. My computer is my primary contact with family and friends who live out of state, and it allows me to communicate almost instantly with people around the world who share my interest in web development. Computers provide the way I choose to make my living.

Do I think our world may be too dependent on computers? Yes, sometimes, I do. My productivity has increased tenfold with the use of a computer, and yet I have less “free” time than before because I am expected to produce more in this computer age. But the world moves at a pace I don’t control, and I have chosen not to fear technology, but to embrace it. I am always moving forward, although the speeds at which I add to my computer knowledge base sometimes more closely resemble those of the horse or bicycle.

If the world were to suffer a major hard drive crash, would I still remember how to do things the “old-fashioned” way? Yes, I would still remember how to maintain records by hand, and as long as I’ve printed my address book and calendar, I could carry on that part of my life with little interruption. What would be lost to me, however, would be the immediate access to a world of information, knowledge, and people.

Knowledge is power. When we stop learning, we lose our power. One of ICON’s greatest missions is enabling its members, whatever their background or beliefs, to access that vast volume of knowledge via their computers. My hope for ICON is to help its members continue to progress on their journeys to understanding and using their computers. Shut down your computer long enough to take the back way home admire the horse or let the cyclist pass you. But then, refreshed, reboot your computer and press onward. We live in a technological world; if we stop learning, we are actually moving backward!