A Personal Perspective: Lessons I’ve Learned
I want to share a story about my friend Carol. For years, she proudly declared herself a “tech dinosaur.” She had a flip phone for emergencies and was perfectly content with her checkbook and the daily newspaper. Her world changed when her husband, Bob, had a health scare that required them to carefully track his medications, diet, and doctor’s appointments. They were drowning in a sea of paper.
Her daughter set them up with a simple tablet and installed a medication reminder app and a shared calendar. At first, Carol was resistant. She called me, frustrated, saying, “I just don’t think this way! These little pictures don’t make sense.” I suggested she focus on just one thing: the medication app. Her motivation—Bob’s health—was powerful. She and her daughter spent an afternoon just entering his pill schedule. They created loud, clear alarms for each one. The first time an alarm went off and she successfully marked the medication as “taken,” she felt a small thrill of accomplishment.
Slowly, she started using the calendar to keep track of appointments. Then she discovered she could look up heart-healthy recipes on the tablet. A few months later, she called me, practically giddy. She had used the tablet to do a telehealth follow-up with Bob’s cardiologist, saving them a tiring trip downtown. She told me, “You know, this thing isn’t just a gadget. It’s become our co-pilot.”
Carol’s journey taught me a vital lesson. Technology is not about the device; it’s about what it allows you to do. For her, it wasn’t about “learning the iPad.” It was about taking control of her husband’s health, reducing her daily stress, and gaining a sense of order amid chaos. Her anxiety disappeared when the technology became a solution to a real-life problem. That is the magic we are all looking for.
