The Wisdom of

I hate to admit it because you know how much I love technology, but sometimes I do wonder if my non-computer literate friends aren’t wiser than I.

When Danny and Betty, told me last year they had asked their children to return their Christmas gift, a laptop, I was disapproving. Today I wondered who was right.

I thought the only thing on my daily schedule this morning would be an easy task. One requiring merely a brief moment or two. I simply had to contact my drug plan and renew a prescription. Unfortunately, my anticipation didn’t turn out quite that way.

I have no objection to identifying myself by my birthdate, and so I did. That was until the recorded voice at the other end of the Phone inquired, “And how are you today, Michele?”

I replied that while I was fine, I was not Michele.

The humorless voice said “Please repeat your birthdate,” and once again I repeated the numbers.

Then I heard, “If that is your birthdate, you are Michele.”

Approximately, 30 minutes later, after repeatedly pushing various buttons on my IPhone while my patience ebbed rapidly away, I finally reached a human contact,

That was the precise moment when I was finally able to establish that I am not Michele, never have been Michele nor have any intention of becoming Michele.

Breathing a sigh of relief, I stated “I merely need a renewal for V........, the blood pressure medication I have used since 2016.”

Once again my heart dropped when I heard a slight sigh and then another reprimand, “That is not what you have been taking.”

I looked at the empty bottle in my hand and slowly said, “I am holding it and it says V........”

I listened to another sigh of resignation and finally a voice saying impatiently, “It doesn’t matter what the bottle says. You have been taking G........”

By this time I was no longer certain I wasn’t really Michele and the bottle didn’t say G.........,, but I decided to resist just one more time.

About three hours later and quite phone weary, I was able to get “Anne’s prescription for V........” renewed. I never bothered to inquire whether Michele got her G........

Later when I sat down with a cup of very strong coffee, I remembered the “good old days” before friendly telephone operators were replaced with computers, and I decided maybe Danny and Betty weren’t all wrong.

But don’t get me wrong, I still love technology. At least most days, I do.