Isn't it funny how things change. Today, as I was soaking up the winter sun, I began to think about how quickly things change. The time. The seasons. People. Technology. It was this last point, technology, that got me thinking.

I began to think about how technology has changed and improved in my lifetime. How technology has evolved to become such a large part of our day to day living. We have become slaves to the SMS. I remember the time when life was so much simpler. We had a rotary phone and a black and white TV which was only capable of tuning in to two channels. I remember the excitement of getting an aerial installed on our roof so that we could pick up the "Sydney" channels with much more ease, instead of being restricted to ABC and one other local station.

The next big change in technology was the video recorder. We thought we were cool because we had a remote control. The remote control attached to the video recorder with a wire, which didn't even reach the couch in our small lounge room. But nevertheless it was exciting because we could tape programs off TV and watch them after school the next day.

Bit by bit, technology has crept into my life. Computers, CD players, mobile phones. The notable change in portable music devices - my radio was swapped for a walkman, then a discman, now an ipod - with each new device becoming noticeably smaller in size.

Technology has changed the way we interact with friends, community, society and the world. We no longer take the time to call our friends, instead we send them an email, or "talk" using a variety of instant messaging programs. We keep up to date with facebook, twitter, blogs and Vlogs. We no longer share our thoughts privately with one friend, we share our thoughts globally, with many acquaintances, some we know well enough to call friends, others we know only by association. We no longer need to step foot inside the local bank or the supermarket when most of our needs can be met through online services.

I often wonder, if postmen deliver less mail these days. I used to get so excited over the prospect of a letter in the mail, now I am satisfied with a funny email from friends. Gone are the days when we had pen pals. Letter writing, always seemed so much more than just writing a letter. It was an art form. A platform for expression. Nowadays many people don't know how to write a letter appropriately, let alone recognise the intricacy of the art and power a letter can possess.


I wonder where change will lead us next?