Embrace Technology

Sometimes people say to me that they don't like technology.  They reject social media tools like Facebook, because they think people are becoming less social by using such tools.  People are using the tool to hide behind, to avoid actually talking face to face, and say they reject such technology.  

This is true for some - it was true for me for quite a long time, when processing some particularly painful memories.  However, as someone who works in tech, in a company now named “DXC Technology”, I feel compelled to share an alternative perspective.

Each year, after I sign off work for the holiday season, I write a letter...  It's an old fashioned type letter to all family and friends who I can recall and for whom I have an email address.  I'm not quite sure how long I've been doing this, but it's been several years.  My mother says she has copies of all the letters, so I'll have to find out from her someday.  It's become a tradition.  

My reason for doing this each year?  I am blessed with a lot of good experiences each year.  I feel great gratitude for those experiences, and I want all who have been involved in my life to sincerely know the gratitude.  Simply put, the reflection makes me feel good, and I want to share that with those I care about.

I always close the letter with a request - please reply and consider joining our family in social media - in Facebook.  I have a rule in recent years as well - the letter must fit on a single page.

My letter from this year went like this:

I've requested and received permission to share with you one of the many beatiful exchanges that occurred after this.

A few years ago, our team faced an issue with the product we were trying to support for use in remote control of computers for customer support.  We called this the "black dots" issue.  One guy we worked this issue with has moved to a new role now, but each year he still receives my letter and kindly replies all the way from India.  This year, he replied:

Something's never fail to bring smile on my face, one of which is ur annual email.
Belated Christmas wishes and advance new year wishes to you and your wonderful family.
I'm on a trip with my family- wife, parents, brother and his in-laws and my sweet li'l sister. We just spent 4 days at Pondicherry ( used to be a French colony- look it up). Beautiful places with beaches and churches and lazy paced life. Loved every bit of it and it ranks as one of the best place to celebrate Christmas.
On the way to Rameshwaram on a bus...'the pamban bridge' over the sea connects this place to mainland. I hope it turns out to be fun as well. Will definitely have a different flavor...has a lot of history attached( mythology). Mom wanted to visit it.
Then a few more places and finally celebrate 31st night in Chennai. On 1st we all fly back our bases- me and wife to Mumbai.
I shifted to Mumbai from Noida ( bomgar black dots issue birthplace) last year. Into a sales role... challenges galore but loving it and acing it ( there goes modesty out of the window...lol
Wish you all the best superstar.
Regards,

I was humbled by his words.  I simply replied:

Super star – you make me smile J  Sounds like you are having a good time.  Glad to hear it!

Now, a week later, I have received another reply:

His plans prevail...

 Happy new year Christine.
 Something happened just a few hours after I wrote this email to you earlier from the bus.
 I never reached rameshwaram. We met with an accident, our bus head on with a truck. I got flung out of the bus due to impact...with pieces of glass embedded into the entire left side of the body and right ankle broken. A few others got some injuries but by God's grace there was no casualty.
 We were taken to nearby government hospital with just enough facility to make us ready to fly the next day. We took a flight to Delhi and then got proper treatment here. I underwent a surgery, the fracture was fixed with 4 screws.
 Given the magnitude of the accident I feel lucky to have escaped with minimal injury. I should be able to walk in 3-4 months on both feet.
 8th jan is my birthday, so you can send your wishes my way ;)
 Take care and live life to the fullest every moment.
 Love and regards,

To this, my response is "Happy Birthday, Amit!"

Moments like these show me what a gift my journey actually is.  

Sometimes, I feel like my job is “heartless” and question if technology is really where I should be working.  As a teen, I wanted to be a psychologist, but then did not follow my heart for fear that I would not be able to handle talking to so many people struggling in life.  "Bad things happen to good people", I would often reflect, and I feared all I would do in such interactions was feel sad.

This holiday season, I was blessed with the opportunity to connect with many people facing "bad things".  I paid several visits to people who experienced death of a loved one, were undergoing surgery, or were stuck at home due to injury.  As sad as it was, and emotionally exhausting, it was surreal as I found myself thoroughly enjoying the social interactions that ensued.  Sometimes, I think I would love to do such "ministry" full-time, I love people so much.

What I've come to know is this.  There is always “light of the world” there.  People share their lives with me daily, through technology and from locations around the world, and would not do it if technology was not there.  Without technology, I would not know many of the approximately 200 cousins I'm told I have, and would not know how similar yet original we all are.  I would be far less connected, and it saddens me to think I could ever have missed out on such experiences.

This is why the cover page of my Facebook page has this picture from several years ago of my daughter:

To those who still feel technology is a bad thing, perhaps reflect on my experiences and reconsider?  Think about embracing technology as a blessing for us all.  It is an opportunity to see the "light of the world", and also to help those struggling with seing it.  

What better way to spend our lives?!

Another song playing in my mind :-)  "Issues": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7dqMyh4ILIg