My  blog site “Views From Paradise” was a gift from our daughter Meagan a few years ago.

Apparently bored by my emails where I shared my opinions and comments on life, she set up an outlet for my written expressions.   A place where I could attempt to enlighten my family and friends without loading their  inmail.

Over the years I recognize that not everyone reads it.  Virtually the only people that offer comments are Janine and Pat and occasional strangers, and the strangers only want details on my model ship pictures or to sell me advertising on the site.

This does not matter.  Thoreau wrote his philosophies, thinking no one would read or appreciate them.  Long after he was dead there is a tiny group of people that study every thing he wrote.

So it shall be for me, but…..

Last evening we had our monthly meeting of the local Miata club at the A&W.  A group of people of our vintage.  The conversation came up about IPads and Smart Phones.  This went to a frenzy of people showing pictures of their grandchildren doing something cute or bragging about their latest downloaded App. ( I believe I have spelled that correctly)

So I showed them my wonderful cel phone where you just flip it to open and flip it to close.  I cannot use it for GPS or search for the details on the French Kings that follow Napoleon or seek restaurant reviews, but we can go 3 days on a trip without having to recharge and if I really want to search Google, I can wait until I get home.  The group opinion was that I was some kind of Luddite.  And they did make fun of me.  (if you do not understand the term Luddite look it up on your smartphone)

I did admit that I have texted my brother a few times a year but I do not Tweet or Facebook which confirmed their opinion.  There went another  flurry of people showing their facebook page pictures from their grandchildren on their smart phones (until of course the batteries died and they had to put them back in their pockets)

Then I mentioned that I have an active Blog site.  People were stunned.  Tweeting is one thing, posting pictures on facebook  in reply is another but a Blog.

The fact that I have a site with 300 blogs and that I actually own the website domain VIEWS FROM PARADISE impressed them.

Despite my ancient cel phone I am a with-it-guy.