In an e-World

Quite a few things have become e of late.

The most important tool in life has become the computer at home. We seem to be doing almost everything in that. Do whole lot of official things. Letters, correspondence, keeping in touch with friends, listen to music, watch movies, create birthday cards, diary, reminders...

Booking tickets, transfering money, investments, bank accounts ... everything.

Result ? The time spent in front of the computer is quite high.

So much so that my brain starts working on an issue only when I sit in front of the computer. If there is no power, life comes to a limbo. The biggest disaster that can happen to me is the crashing of the computer !

In the office, some years ago, we had to persuade our adivasi girls to switch from typewriter to word processor. But, today, if there is no power, everyone runs to switch on the generator.

I am not regreting this of course.

An adivasi boy who has just finished 10th class is in charge of billing patients in our hospital - thanks to computer. It is too difficult to calculate the total bill - for each tablet given, each procedure done, bed charge, doctor's fees and what not - using a calculator. So, if power goes, switch on the generator ! If there is a problem with the generator also, then everyone's paralysed.

But, sometimes I feel that it just takes a couple of days to get over it. In July, we had five full days of no power and life wasn't too bad. Just thinking, what are all the things that I do now without computer ? First of all, sleeping. Reading my 'Hindu' newspaper. Eating, taking bath etc. Talking to people in Gudalur who do not have email address. Playing with Vennila. The weekly ritual of buying buying vegetables with her. I guess, there are few such things I do without the computer still ...

Things may come to a stage where I may quickly have an e-sleep (when one section of the brain sleeps and other section instructs the fingers to type / click something), drink the e-tea, eat a delicious e-food (nicely boiled e-rice mixed with hot e-sambar), go for an e-walk, e-mail friends, e-talk with parents and e-chat generally with everyone.

I wonder, whether it will happen within my life span itself ! Anyway, as of now, let me e-muse...

PS : Life would be easier, if I had the source code !

PS - 2 : Even spiders are e-literate these days !