Am I ready for this?

While I am very eager for the upcoming super-connected world to arrive, I do have to ask myself, "Am I ready for this?" I have had my cel phone for about two years but still haven't stored any numbers in it. In fact, all the advertising that I get in the mail says I should have upgraded two times by now. I bought an answering machine after months of delay only to have it sit in a box for another month before I hooked the thing up. I don't even want to tell you about my telephone debacle. In a state of technology euphoria I bought a phone that does more things than I can even tell you and for that I paid quite a hefty price. Now, months later I have only ever picked the thing up and dialed. I haven't used one special feature. Therefore, I realize I should have just gone to the local electronics store and bought a standard old phone. Of course, now my window of opportunity for returning my "personal communication center" has long passed so I might as well keep the darn thing and hope that one day I have time to read the 100-page booklet with which it came. This booklet probably tells me I didn't really ever need to buy that answering machine, and by the time I figure it all out, I'll be getting cards in the mail about upgrading my "pcc" as well. I should have just mastered my cel phone and stuck with that across the board. I won't even begin to tell you all the different places I have numbers and addresses stored because that ranges between several computers and programs to random pieces of paper, including one crucial paper plate.

Currently being "connected" takes some time and effort, but we are told that one day, we will have one communication device that will do anything and everything for us. It will contain our personal phone book, and be a pager, cel phone and communicator (think Star Trek) all in one. This device will be Web connected at all times and probably about the size of a wrist watch. Lost and need directions? You will have an instant mapping service at your fingertips. Bored on a train? Then how about a few games? Need to catch up with some people? Just select how you wish to communicate with them.