Baby Boomer Me: Sometimes Older is Wiser

I no longer get upset if I have to wait when I go for a doctor or dentist appointment!

For me, the solution was easy.

Years ago I decided that I would do two things for any of these appointments:

· I would never schedule anything immediately after the appointment – I usually block off 3-4 hours

· I always bring a book or some work to do while I wait

I recently went for a podiatry appointment that in my younger years would have made me crazy; a one hour and twenty minute wait. I was ready, I had my trusty smart phone with my Kindle application and while there were some pretty unhappy people in the office, I spent a relaxing time engrossed in “Pride and Prejudice.”

Can you believe that I have never read the book? Seen the movie a million times with my wife and daughter!

While I was waiting I noticed other people acting like I used to act. Some sat there with disgruntled looks on their faces, some complained to anyone who would listen, and some stormed the front desk.

Nothing worked for them and they just keep getting angrier. All the while, I was totally enjoying myself. In fact, I almost missed it when my turn came and they called my name.

Over the past couple of years, I have had cataract surgery in both of my eyes. When you have the surgery you get the choice of being able to see in the distance or near. I chose distance for both my eyes, but I often wondered if I should have chosen one of each.

Of course, I have to use readers to read anything up close now. This really bothers me when I have to make a call on my smart phone. I just cannot read my contacts list without my glasses and many times it is inconvenient to pull them out.

Many people suggested that I use the voice dialing app. The only problem with that app is that it always brings up a message box to confirm the person you want to call or to choose between two similar names.

You guessed it; without my glasses, I can’t read the message box.

Finally I decided to bite the bullet. You see, I am an IT Professor by trade and a programmer by choice. I spent the next year building my own app that allows me to create large icons on my phone with the pictures of the people I want to call. Even I can see these pictures and just have to touch them to make a call. I use this application many times a day and am a lot less frustrated with my phone.

Maybe getting older is wiser!

For those of you that aren’t programmers, you can download the “Baby Boomer Speed Dial” from the Android marketplace for just 99¢.