The Future Is NOW…uh, wow…

Do you know what this is?

Good; then I don’t feel so bad. Because I encountered it in a place that ironically enough, used to thrive on the simplicity of the written word, printed on pages wafting with the aroma of aging ink.

ANSWER: It’s a book checkout station, at a library.

http://giphy.com/search/confused-gif

And I resent it, because it made me feel old.

I have nothing against progress and technology, believe me. I love my iPhone. No, I mean I LOOOOVE my iPhone. I love that I can carry around a pocketful of friends that I can talk with on a moment’s notice, if I feel like it. I savor being able to Google anything bit of information that I deem crucial, whether it’s what Bruce Jenner’s doing today, or “how to remove a toothbrush from a toilet.”

I’m down with the future. I grew up with Back To The Future;  hey, they were right about future tech methods like Skype, and I’m STILL waiting for my damn hoverboard.

www.cinemablend.com

 Though in reality, at this phase of my life, the Black & Decker meal hydrator would be WAY more practical for me than the hoverboard. With all the cooking I do now, I’d never have any time on my hoverboard even if I HAD one; and you know the kids would immediately break it anyway.

(For those of you too young to have seen Back To The Future II, well, then you’ll never know what a versatile actor Michael J. Fox is as he portrays himself. His dad. His son. His daughter…)

On to the library:

I ended up needing a book that wasn’t at our town library, so I stopped by the library in the next town over to pick up what I needed. I headed toward the checkout desk, only to realize that there really wasn’t one.

Just three of these: 

Oooookkk….

When in doubt, fake it… so I stepped up; I swiped my library card through the reader, and….

a nice librarian stepped up to point out that that is actually the credit card swiper, to pay overdue fines.

OHHHHHH.

http://i.imgur.com/VY2MYDT.gif

So here’s the gist. You flash your card under the screen, then place your books on the plate below the screen.

… and it doesn’t even matter where the books’ barcodes are located.

…and then the machine spits out your receipt, complete with name, book titles, due date.

WHAAA???

And that’s how I know I’m old, folks. Finally, I was not only stymied by a new piece of technology, but eyed it suspiciously for at least three minutes as I watched other patrons check out their books.

It was bound to happen though, right? Technology is constantly evolving at such a fast rate; it was only a matter of time before it began to eclipse me and dash on by. I already need The Captain’s help with the latest iTunes download.

But it’s ok.  I have created a legion of minions to help me with my technological concerns as I age. And in the grand circle of life, in the (near?) future, my kids can complain about my technological ignorance.

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