Tech-Power

I put down my solved Teraminx on the marble and gold table. For some reason, people think it's hard to solve. With about a week of hardcore training I can now solve it in about 2 minutes every time. It's cake.

I hear knocking on the front door. I rush downstairs and look through the peephole. It's mom. Cold version. I quickly open the door and she rushes in, as a big gush of wind from the blizzard hits me and I shut the door.

"Good heavens Mike. You still want to go sledding?" she asks, shivering as she speaks. I nod. I can bring my new coat and my newly sewed mittens. "Ok," she replies, and strokes my chocolate colored face. I smile back at her and turn to go back upstairs, but she grabs my shoulder to stop me.

"I got you something that will help." I give her a puzzled look. What do I need help with? I'm 13. Do I look like I need help with my quiz corrections, because I never get any. I ace my quizzes and all my homework. I tell her that.

"No honey it isn't that." She gives a small chuckle and pulls it out from her brown leather bag. I gasp.

"Please no mom." I give a pleading look with my hazel eyes. "I don't need one. I have a perfectly good one upstairs," I reassure her. She gives me the smile. It's that smile when she knows you are being stupid.

"Mike. It's over 20 years old. Ok? Don't say I wasted over 1000 dollars on this. Look I even got you a math themed case." It would be rude to not accept the IPhone. The IPhone 12 pro. And she really thought of me with the case. But there is something I don't get.

"Mom, why did you have to get me the 12 pro?" I shiver just thinking about it. She sees my shiver and locks her sky blue eyes into mine.

"It will help get over your fear more. If I give you the 5 that won't be much help. Technology is the future and new technology is being used every day." Her last sentence makes me want to run away. No. No. No. She realizes what she has said. "I'm so sorry Mike. I didn't mean to disturb you. I just want to help you, because being a technophobe might be difficult these days."

I know she is right. And she knows I know. She straightens up and puts the brand new IPhone in my dry hands. "Oh also Mike, put on some lotion ok?"

I can't handle it. How could the world just let these new t-t-techno-technologies keep developing? It was so stupid. One thing was for sure. I was NOT setting this garbage up. I couldn't handle fiddling with all these settings. Mom probably knows that. That is confirmed when she says so.

Then I rush upstairs past my father's bedroom where he is remotely working. He is a banker and I can hear him talking to his clients about stocks and investments. I have helped him with some decisions in his work.

I reach my bathroom. You might think that if I am scared of a modern phone I only like antique things. But people are constantly dead wrong on that. Our 2 story house is the most modern house I have seen. Filled with marble and polished black stone. We also have a little polished wood.

On the white several story shelf, my cake batter lotion is resting upside down. I grab it and rub it all over my hands. I also put some on my ankle, where a rash is beginning to form. I can't stop looking at my phone though. Whenever I try to pull my attention away my thoughts drift back to it. I can't stop shaking. This is all so stupid. But I know why it has to be done. But it's like my mom said. I need to overpower my fear. So I tap on the screen. It opens up and I jump in fright.

My new screen wallpaper is way bigger than my 20 year old flip phone's screen. It has the time neatly displayed. Too neatly. I toss it under my blankets but it still shines. I click the side button but it's the raise volume. I click the side button right below it. It's the lower volume. Why can't they just put one stupid button. Who needs volume? I didn't need it. If I wanted to listen to something I just flicked on the radio. TV's are too much.

Who needs new technology? Can't we all go back where kids would always play outside. Adults would have the fun commute to work. They would send faxes. Who needs E-Ema-Email. Who needs g-games.

I turn back to my phone and take a deep breath. Mom said I need to absorb it a little. So I inch towards it. And I tap the screen. The beautiful picture of Stephen Hawking is sitting there and I smile. Maybe if I gave the phone more chances it would help.

Mom hasn't yet put in a password. But I don't know how to set one up, so I'll speak with her later.

The home screen is actually nice. I can see how these app things are sitting there. Kind of like my old school IPod. Mom has set this background to a picture of when I was in third grade and had just solved my first 10x10 rubix. Dad had taken me out for some milkshakes and when the photo was taken, I still had chocolate blobs all over the edges of my mouth. I smile. Then I realize that I have just hung out with a new device for 5 minutes straight. That isn't all that bad.

There's more to explore though. I click on this green app with a speech bubble. "Messages" it says. I see a list, which contains mom, dad, and a few of my friends. Maybe I'll message mom right now. I need to think of something sweet. She helped me big time. "You were right," I click the send button that I surprisingly got on first try. Less than 30 seconds later she has responded.

"I always am."