Turning smart, from the typewriter to tab

In today’s fast-paced life, everything is turning smart. Our perpetual running after the latest is an outcome of all things smart, from smart TVs, smart watches, smart phones, smart schools to smart cities. But are we really turning smart? Or are we losing our smartness to smart gadgets?

I remember my childhood days, watching father work on his typewriter. I would be spellbound with his error-free, impeccable speed when he would be engrossed typing letters on his Remington typewriter. With flawless grammar and vocabulary, he would hardly falter. Many a times, my leave applications were typed on it.

This magnificent gadget kept sliding with every letter pressed under his finger tips as if he were playing musical notes on a piano. Once it reached the right end edge of the paper, there was a knob (now marked as the enter key on the tab) to slide the paper back and shift to the next line. I would often request dad to let me do the task of pushing the knob, as the funny noise amused me.

So when this gadget got replaced by a tab a few years ago, dad took a while to get the hang of it. Initially, he found it uncomfortable as he had to type with one hand, while holding the tab in the other. The force he applied while typing the delicate letters was the same as he used to do on the typewriter. We tried our best to correct him but in vain. While typing, he discovered auto correct that he did not fancy at first.

Exploring further, he honed his skills and we would get calls every now and then. He got himself introduced to Facebook and WhatsApp, which was a whole new genre. A keen learner who would sit through late nights, feeling dejected at times but determined to know more about these newly discovered apps; we started getting late night calls from him inquisitive about various functions.

Once he called to ask how to upload a picture that all his friends could view. Well, he was explained at length that they needed to be added to his friends list first.

One night, he wanted to review a picture he might have posted but couldn’t locate on his page. I was ordered to search for it and revert immediately. By now, he understood that a lot can happen over this little gadget and that made him plunge deeper and further.

He even designed his business website with the help of his grandson in Delhi. Every now and then, dad would randomly send his hotel pictures to his grandson and the poor chap wasn’t allowed to relax till the time his assigned job was completed as anxious Nanajee would keep checking on him and the site.

Today, his typewriter is stationed in a prominent corner of his office table under a piece of cloth. It rests in peace after so much of labour and does not crave for attention. Dad still maintains the typewriter, which seems to respond to his touch.

With dad turning hard of hearing, the tab comes to his rescue. He is mostly dependent on it for news, matches and his favourite programmes playing at ear-popping volume. He now happily uses the auto correct feature. The tab just obeys his command and doesn’t retaliate when assigned multiple tasks. Turning smart, indeed.

BY NOW, HE UNDERSTOOD THAT A LOT CAN HAPPEN OVER THIS LITTLE GADGET. THAT MADE HIM PLUNGE DEEPER AND FURTHER