Alas, Babylon
I am smart and capable and creative and I am going to keep saying that to myself until it sticks. I made some small strides today in using the Technology. At least it seemed like I did. It was very much like that scene in The Return of the Jedi when they tried to feed Luke to the sand creature (the one that looks very much like the sandworm in Dune)…I FELT like I was making headway, but really the more I struggled up out of the pit, the closer I slid toward the Maw.
I was heartened, however, by a text from a dear friend at work. I occasionally feel obsolete…my old-school subject…my old-school methods. Most days I can shake that off because there is no point in dwelling, and besides I love what I do. So this friend reminded me that I am not alone in some of the more TRADITIONAL arts. He, like I, prefers paper and pen (I am pretty sure that we could both dazzle with quill and parchment, if pressed)…a paper book that requires a turning of a crisp (or softly pilled) page…the smell of binding glue and sealing wax. It is so very hard to make the transition to the digital world when you are accustomed to touching the artifacts of your trade, your craft, your passion…and inspiring students to reach out and find the delight in the touch of these.
We brainstormed a little on how to get these kids to engage in the virtual classroom. I know that I am stubborn…we could use the word “tenacious” to be kind, but whichever way you put it, I am not about to let this Technology Beast beat me. I will get my arms around it and bend it to my will.
I remember being surprised by the book that I reference in the title of this post. It was a terrifying idea that was presented in that book…I am glad I didn’t read it during high school in the days of the Cold War…it would have scared the crap out of me from sheer plausibility. I certainly don’t wish for those events to unfold in our current age…I feel like 2020 has kicked us around enough. I made the remark to my friend about how I keep my arcane skills (like writing legibly, in cursive, if I choose, knowing how to hold and coax the words from paper books, driving a standard transmission) just in case there is a need for the code-phrase of Alas, Babylon…if all this technology fails…it will be the people who wield the pen and book who will rule the world again. I have no desire to rule the world, however…I would like to make pretty pictures on it, and to keep a small cottage wherein I could make tasty things for the people I love…but just know that I COULD…and so could he…we are going to prevail…we just need to remind each other frequently that this is so.
