Living in the Future

On Wednesday I spent 20 minutes sitting in my hotel in Iasi, Romania video chatting with Alex who was at my house in Everett, Washington, USA… just about 5630 miles away. Just a few years ago this would not have been something I could have done. (At least not practically and at essentially no cost.)

Alex spent most of the 20 minutes showing me various of his toys and telling me about all the cars, trucks and trains and what they were doing. He also told me how one toy was in the car, and he asked mommy to let him go back to the car to get it, but she wouldn’t. Of course, anybody outside our family watching the video wouldn’t be able to tell all of that was being talked about, but to me what he was saying made perfect sense. :-)

Later, he went to get the dog and the leash, and brought them both to the computer and asked if I would go with him to walk the dog, which I do with him regularly. Sadly, technology hasn’t progressed quite that far yet. Maybe in a couple more years.

Then when I said I had to say goodbye, he said “NO NO NO!” and closed the lid of the laptop, thus ending the video call. If he was trying to make sure I didn’t actually say “Goodbye” he succeeded. If he was trying to make me stay and keep talking to him, well… he is only two. :-)