I Was Thinking . . . Bing, Buzz, Beep

Those that talk about the benefits of retirement often stress the fact that you now have time for yourself. You aren’t confined by a time clock or a work schedule. You can do what you want when you want. At least that is the image they try to portray. 
For my grandparents, I think that was a pretty realistic  picture. My one grandfather had a favorite lawn chair in the shade where he could overlook his garden while also keeping track of who was traveling by in the street. My other grandmother had her lounge chair on the screened in front porch where she enjoyed many summer evenings. They had put in many years of hard work and were now enjoying the slower relaxed pace of retirement. So why don’t I have the same feeling?
It is obvious, we have many more “labor saving” devices than my grandparents could even conceive. Therefore, you would think we would have even more time to sit back and relax. But somehow that doesn’t seem to be the case. 
While the idea behind the many devices we have today is to serve the owner and make life easier, I’m not sure that always happens. I’m beginning to wonder if we control our devices, or they control us.  
Since we have been married, we have always had an automatic washer and dryer. We never had to put clothes through the wringer into a tub of rinse water and then through the wringer again to squeeze out some more water before we took them out to hang on the line. But those old washers and the clothesline never bugged us either.  
Today when the wash is finished the machine buzzes to let us know. If you don’t react quickly enough, it does it again. Once you respond and put the load in the dryer, this machine also calls you back to the basement when it is done with a beep. You find you are now conditioned to respond to the signals of the machines.
We no longer have to put wood into a cookstove and manage the heat to cook or bake. Our modern kitchen appliances are modern marvels. But they also have learned out to control their human owners. Whether it is the stove or the microwave, they both have the capabilities of interrupting whatever else you are doing with a series of bings, buzzes, or beeps to demand your immediate presence. If I’m attempting to cook, it is usually the smoke alarm that requires my attention.  
The evolution of communication has advanced far beyond what most senior citizens ever imagined. But these same implements that allow us instant access to information and connectiveness also come at a price. 
To begin with, they have the ability to create an addictive relationship with their owners. Many people can suffer anxiety attacks if they don’t have their phone within arms reach at all times. It has become an extension of themselves. They also have the power to intercede in almost all other aspects of life. Even if someone is having a conversation with another human being, the bing, beep or whatever ring tone that has been selected sounds, the human interaction comes to an end so the owner may respond to the call of the machine. It often takes practice, patience and self-control not to reply to the artificial sound of the phone.  
Modern vehicles have more bells and whistles than ever before. Most are designed to make driving safer and drivers more aware. However, the number of signals, sounds, and messages that appear can become a dangerous distraction by themselves. 
My car can tell me if I’m low on gas, if my tire pressure is too low, if my turn signal has been on too long, or if I need an oil change. It will warn me if I’ve crossed over the center line, if I’m following to close, or if the engine needs servicing. I’m not sure if that makes me feel more informed or like my car thinks I’m an idiot. But no matter what, it keeps blinking, flashing, and beeping which creates more anxiety than relaxation. So, it makes me wonder, who is really in control?
Did You Ever Wonder? - Why does slow up and slow down mean the same thing?