Old Guys In The Locker Room

... talking about technology and Thomas Friedman.  At least it wasn't about aches and pains.  :)

I'm sitting on the bench in front of the fan after my 4 mile run (!) and this old guy who's putting on his coat strikes up a conversation:

You look exhausted.

Do I? 4 miles will do that to you.

That's what you wanted, right?

Yup, I like to feel exhausted - in a good way.

Hey, what's that thing clipped to your shorts?

Oh, that's my iPod Shuffle. Music player.

Who makes it?

Apple.

Where'd you get it?

Best Buy.

How much?

'bout 50 bucks.

How's it work?

Well, I won't bore you with the rest. This is boring enough as it is. :) But this guy, a nice-looking, soft-spoken fellow in his 80s, peppered me with questions and was clearly trying to get his head around the latest technology. 

So we chatted for some time about how it all works, about his granddaughter who tries to teach him how to use his computer, about how he forgets everything when she leaves, etc., etc.

Then another old guy who I had talked to last week, who was about the same vintage as the first, came in just as I was saying "getting comfortable with technology and the internet will expand your view of the world dramatically."  So the new old guy pipes up with:

Yeah, that's what Tom Friedman was saying in his book, "Flat". Technology levels the playing field around the world.  

And I affirmed that by talking about my screen-sharing meeting with India every Wednesday morning, and the first old guy just stared at us, open-mouthed.

By that time I was cooled off and dressed, and was ready to head out and go back to work. But I wondered if the first old guy was ever going to learn how to use his computer. 

Maybe if I see him again... I'll offer to drop by once a week and help.