Commentary by Wayne Lee
I really hate dealing with modern technology. It is supposed to make life easier and yet it seems to complicate things exponentially. I have cell phone service through U.S. Cellular simply because it was the only provider that gave me service north of Shady Cove. Now that they are being absorbed by T-Mobile, I was told I needed a new SIM card to ensure continued service. I even had a flyer in my mailbox telling me I had to come in or face losing service by the first of May. Folks I spoke with at the local senior center said it was no problem. They had undergone the process and said it only takes about 15 minutes.
So, I got a phone call last week from Christy, my esteemed partner in crime and skullduggery, saying she would be in town on a Wednesday, and we could both go in and make the switch to ensure the official Upper Rogue Independent phone would be working May 1. However, nothing in my life is ever that easy, and this was no exception.
Gentleman that I am, I let Christy go first. It turns out her old iPhone was eligible for an upgrade, and we spent the better part of the next hour chatting amongst ourselves and with the store employee while all her data was being transferred from the old phone to the new and improved model.
When it finally came to me it was like asking for directions and being told, “You can’t get there from here.” The old phone I had activated after losing my previous phone was so ancient that it had to be replaced in order to continue service under the T-Mobile umbrella. Unfortunately, the replacement phone was out of stock and would need to be shipped out. I was told I would receive a call the following Friday to come in and make the swap.
Friday came and went, and there was no call. So, on Saturday I mounted Da Beast and took a ride to White City in search of my new phone. After a 30-minute wait, I told them why I was there and gave them my name. Sure enough, my new phone was there although nobody ever bothered to let me know. Nevertheless, the process to swap out the old for the new began.
It wasn’t long before my new phone was up and running. I must admit it’s not as bulky as the old model and runs much faster. However, because the retired phone was under my Susan’s name, this phone still lists her name and G-mail address. There has to be a way of correcting this, but I’m not sure it’s worth wasting half a day sitting in the lobby of U.S. Cellular/T-Mobile, waiting for someone way more tech savvy than myself to correct my problem.
I’m sure it can be done. I just need to carve out the time to make it happen. In the meantime, I’m enjoying the expanded camera options and other upgrades the new device has to offer. By the time I figure it out, it will probably be time to trade it in for the latest version with even more improvements and upgrades I still don’t understand. I’m sure there’s a 10-year-old out there somewhere who can help me figure this stuff out.
