You know you are old when…

Part of the rite of passage is to keep track of your friends, relatives, and any other important contacts was to fill out an address book.

Next to our telephone in the dining room was a flip up alphabetical phone number keeper. It was our connection to the world.

How much time did we spend copying names and addresses and phone numbers from one year to another in new address books? People would move or phone numbers would change so the old information would be scratched through and the new information crammed into minute spaces.

Anyone remember Day Planners as a carry around collection with notes and calendars and reference to phone numbers and updates to people’s status and romantic connections.

The first thing one would do meeting someone was to ask for his or her address and phone number. Long distant phone calls were expensive but letters could be written while waiting for a reply.

Networking was collecting information from clients or possible working associates. Conventions were group parties fueled by alcohol selling ideas and passing business cards.

The Day Planner couldn’t hold all that information, so cards were taped to Rolodex card for easy reference. A twirl of a wheel and the name, address, phone number and any other pertinent information could be quickly selected.

Then the digital age hit and every computer came with an address book. It may have been called ‘contacts’ but still all the information from the Rolodex had to be typed into page after page.

As technology refined to add the cell phone speed dialing, again all the information had to be transferred.

When work is over, all those contacts could be removed. An occasional check might delete some others who do not respond anymore.

I personally do not have contact information on my electronics. If I get hacked, they will not get your information.

Recently I’ve been deleting ‘friends’ on Facebook. Not that I don’t want to be ‘friends’ with them; but they are dead.

You know you are old when….