Monday, January 03, 2011

Living the LIfe Luddite

A few days ago, a fella in my Twitter stream asked "Does anyone use paper, hang on the wall calendar anymore?"

I was the only person to say yes. And he was slightly surprised that anyone said yes.

But I do. I don't know why, other than it's what I've always done. I get tons of free ones from various charities, pick the one with the biggest blocks and up it goes on the wall.

I even keep the old ones, filing them away for references as to when what happened. (Did I have my mammogram in January or February last year? I dunno. Let's look at the calendar.)

I don't work a set schedule so my calendar is mostly filled with bold black Sharpie penned "P"'s (for PM meaning 7p-7a). I put my doctor and dentist appointments there. Hair cuts and eyebrow waxings. Various classes and meetings.

All things I suppose more modern people put in a smart phone, more organized people put in their day planners. I don't have a smart phone. I don't carry a purse in which to put a day planner.

So I collect information on bits and pieces of paper and fill in the calendar when I get home. At home, I stand by the calendar, phone in one hand, Sharpie in the other, when I make appointments.

And there are other little symbols and signs that I fill in. Numbers and days shaded in pink that only I know the meaning of, and it isn't what you just rolled your eyes and thought you knew, so there, nanny nanny boo boo.

So tap the keys on your little smart phone, I may join you some day, but for now, I like my wall calendar. I like seeing my month at a glance in bold black letters and numbers, jotted notes and jumbles of names and times.

Loki sez: Whoa, slow down there Granny, don't rush on into the 20th century all at once.

5 comments:

Heather Solos said...

My husband has a set schedule, but it doesn't fit in any automated way to repeat it. I have one of those big, desk types. I color the blocks so I can see from across the room whether he's on days, nights, or off.
Everything else goes into my phone, except for my travel dates so Tim can easily see those, too.
I don't think you're a luddite.

JanetLee said...

And, the calendar lets Jason know when I'm working. Plus it makes it easier to make appointments when I can see my whole month at a glance and know what days I'll be sleeping and what days I can actually go out into the daytime world.

P.S. Have you had a chance to look at the manuscript? I know it's a crazy time of year.

Anonymous said...

I use my iPhone for everything except birthdays......I write them all on a paper calendar along with anniversaries and deaths........I'm not sure why except it seems logical to me.
Pam, South Bend

Sunnie (Kaytee) said...

I still use actual paper, hang on the wall calendars. It's how I keep up with kids' appointments, band practices, games or concerts. I need to get a wall calendar for this year. But we also have one of those big desk calendars.

Sharon said...

I'm also a calendar Luddite, although I've been wishing for a little pop-up calendar on my computer's desktop lately. But I'm going to get a mini-calendar to hang next to my computer while I hunt for *just the right kind* of pop-up calendar. (Because, yes, I'm very picky about these things. Don't even speak to me about Google Calendar, unless you're willing to come over here and give me the two-day tutorial I am sure I would need in order to be able to use it.)

And I don't own a smartphone.