Life Needs an "i" Button

Last weekend my husband and I drove to Nashville TN to visit our kids and see our grandson.  Since my car was in the shop getting some work done on it we rented a car for the trip.  This was a brand new car with lots of fun techie toys included in it.  We had a great time with the radio because it had Sirius/XM still installed on it.  So we were driving down the road reveling in "60's on 6" and "80's on 8" and all the other fun stations with lots of music.

One of the best things on the radio was a little button just above and to the left of the display.  It was an "i" button.  We found out that if we were stumped on a song we could just press the "i" button and we could find out the song title and the artist.  How cool!

I don't know about you but often when we hear a song and can't figure out the title or the artist it drives us nuts.  My husband is an encyclopedia of music trivia, having worked in the business for several decades.  Often within the first few bars of a song he can tell the title, artist, who else did remakes of it and, depending on the artist, also has a story of when he worked with that artist.  But occasionally we are both stumped and cannot remember the song or the artist.  That is where the "i" button came in so handy.  How fun to be able to push the "i" button and we knew who was singing on the radio.

Wouldn't it be nice to have an "i" button for everything.  I know Staples has the "easy"button but what I really want is a universal "i" button.  Sometimes I run into people who look familiar and I know but I can't remember their names.  If I had a universal "i" button I could just push it and know who they are.  That would alleviate me having to say, "Remind me of your name?"

Just think what else it could work for.  Those days when I go to the grocery store and have not written down my list.  The "i" button could remind me I need hot sauce or napkins or whatever before I walk out of the store.  Now I know all you techies would say you can put a grocery list on your smart phone and I do.  Still I need something to nudge me and say, "Recheck your list, you are forgetting something!"

Even when I walk into the kitchen with a task in mind and then can't remember what it is.  Just press the "i" button and it will tell you what you intended to do but forgot.

Now I know most of this is because I am "older" but I'm challenging all my young tech-savvy friends to think about this.  You could change life for those of us who are Baby Boomers.  No more forgotten things or tasks with the universal "i" button!

How do you sign off?

I am currently an instructor at a community college in Indiana.  I teach psychology classes, Introduction to Psychology and Lifespan Development.  In the Lifespan class we talk about humans through all the stages of life, pre-birth, infancy, childhood, adolescence and adulthood.  One of the stages that is very interesting is the Emerging Adulthood stage, roughly ages 18 through 25.  In this stage humans are transitioning from childhood and adolescence to adulthood.  It is characterized by stretching limits, trying new things and often acting before thinking.  When my son was in this stage he was making many unwise decisions, which is very common in this stage especially for human males in the United States.  He was taking many risks as part of his emergence into adulthood.  My husband and I used to comment that he and his best friend could not make a wise decision between them. 

During this time I became so concerned for his safety that I thought that every time he and I said "goodbye" to each other would be the last.  I was so concerned that after we saw each other he would make another one of his poor choices (along with his best friend) and that would be the end of his life.  So during that time I decided that he would never leave my presence or get off the phone without me telling him "I love you."   I did not want his last thoughts on this Earth to be of me yelling at him and telling him he had done something wrong again. 

That practice has carried onto his adulthood now (he is 31 and his best friend is 33).  Both of them and the beautiful women in their lives have survived.  In fact my son became a father this year himself.  So now when I talk to him, his fiance or my new grandson I tell all of them than I love them before we say goodbye.  This is not because I fear for their safety and choices but because I want them to know that my love for them is steadfast and continuous. 

I continued this practice with all the other people in my life.  This has been very comforting to me since my mother died in November of last year.  I know that the last time I saw her she did not know who I was becuase of her advanced Alzheimers disease.  I'm sure that as I was leaving she was wondering who this stranger is who is telling her "I love you, Mother."  Yet I hope as she took her last breath on this Earth she knew that she was loved by the people who were important to her. 

So how do you sign off with the people in your life?  Do you just say "goodbye" or text an "LOL" or do you let them know how much they mean to you?  Take a second and make sure that those people who are important to you know it and they hear it or see it in a text.  This is important.  As I tell my students during class, "Write this down, it will be on the test."  Remember, sometimes you may be stacking the deck in case something happens in the case of my son and his wild years.  Or it may be the last words you say to your parent or someone you love. 

This and That - Reaching Goals and Looking Ahead.

So this week is the last week of classes for the spring semester at the community college where I work.  Graduation is on Saturday for thousands of students will be getting associate degrees or certificates.  It's a pretty exciting time for these students and their families.  For me I have finished teaching and have posted grades for the students in the class I teach (Introduction to Psychology).  On a personal note I received grades for the last two graduate classes I had to take in the journey for my doctoral degree.  I am now officially "ABD" - All But Dissertation.  I have been in a semi-shock that I am so close (yet so far) from the end of my educational journey.  This is where so many doctoral students get stuck because the remainder of this journey is a lonely, personal one.

So how am I going to make sure that I continue toward my goal?  First of all I am telling everyone my goal for completion - May 2014.  So this makes me accountable to my family and friends to complete my journey when planned.  Also, my research is on perseverance and persistence toward achieving educational goals.  I would have to be a total screw up to not reach my own goal when my research is about reaching goals.  

A few months ago my doctoral adviser and I worked out a plan for completion of my degree.  Now I don't know about anyone else but give me a grid with goals and dates and I will do everything in my power to complete the task.  My worst enemy is a goal with no deadline.  So even though I will not be sitting in a class and meeting deadlines for a professor I am faced with that plan every day and know I must persist until I am done. 

I guess one of my biggest inspirations is that for years I have visualized myself walking across that stage at graduation in full academic regalia having the hood placed over my head for achieving my degree and receiving my diploma.  That has sustained me though countless late nights completing papers and plodding through research.  So I will complete this task.  There is so little left to do in comparison to what I have accomplished. 

In the end I want to be done because I have several novels clanging around in my head wanting to be written.  I can't start working on them until this goal is completed.