People are now internet based. I remember when my father used to work in the Middle East, it almost felt like forever before we receive any letters from him. Each night my mom would insist that we keep writing and writing, and then the responses were like a gift we kept waiting for, while our friendly post man played as Santa Claus. Phone calls were also very minimal, considering how much a few minutes listening to your dad's voice could cost. We were four children, and during that time my mom was the lucky one long enough to stay on our neighbor's phone. True it was very difficult then, and communication with someone who is far away from you is a part of your daily allowances.

Although now it still is. However the modern ways have made things quite easier. Numerous phone companies compete with each other to be able to offer the lowest rates. and thank God for the internet. No more waiting for a letter, when you can actually chat with the person online. The world has gone a long way from the post office to the mere comforts of our homes and internet cafes.

It's amazing how common websites like Facebook and Friendster, and Twitter has made our lives easier to communicate. I guess with our inclusion to this addiction, most of our lives are pretty much exposed to what we do in our daily routines. Your friends would know where you are and can contact you in a flash. We are no longer bored with just watching TV or listening to the radio, as there are several online games and videos to entertain us. As much as we all deny it, our mediocre ways are somehow controlled by the power of the internet.

I remember when my internet connection went down because of the storm Santi. Honestly I almost went beserk staring at my computer and being able not to do anything but play Solitaire. I came that close to harassing my internet provider with several calls in a day, pleading and cursing (a bittersweet combination of both) for them to return my connection. At the end I waited for an entire week before I could return to my virtual world of farming and owning my restaurant.

For the one week that I was away from my network connections I realized a lot of things. Since I was so glued to being in the net for almost half of my life, I kind of forgotten that there was more to do. I was able to sat down and finish a book from my collection, and had enough time to spare for my cross stitching. I felt guilty that the internet became one of my priorities, instead of doing other things that can also be beneficial to me.

Don't take it against me. We all love and appreciate the internet. And we have been helped by this in several ways. It is just sad that most of the time our lives circle on it. In college we endure having to sit long hours in the library just to research for an exam or project, but now information is available with just one click on the browser. Businesses are far more blooming with investors communicating deals through the web, and jobs are more accessible to find. Loved ones are easier to contact, and friends are not so hard to find.

I guess this age has gone beyond our expectations and each day there is a new technology that people come up with. I wonder where our friendly post man is now, maybe he too is doing some browsing himself. In the modern age where computers are a basis of information and communication, I suppose a part of us comes with it. Do you still remember a time that you received a snail mail? Well I havent for a very long time. It would be somehow nice to return back to the simple times but today that is just a word we can find at merriam-webster.com