Seeing Long Distance
I was able to see my daughter in Seattle today. No, I didn't go there and she didn't come here. But I saw her nonetheless. We even smiled and waved at each other.
For Christmas I gave Eva and Emily a pair of web cams and the software to go with them. I know this is very old technology but it is new for me to be able to have it in my home and use it to see my far-away daughter. The two sisters not only looked at each other today but talked to each other on their cell phones while they looked at each other. Not only that but they also played a game of internet cribbage at the same time.
I reminded me of my youth back in 1960 when I watched with wonder as the television networks broadcast the first "live" pictures beamed from Europe to America by satellite. The satellite was the Echo I and the pictures they showed on the TV were of Big Ben in London and the Eiffel Tower in Paris. I could see cars and trucks moving on the streets and people walking in the distance...in "real time." It was a magical and marvelous moment. It was a moment that changed the world.
Today we see live images of tsunami ravaged coastlines and rescue efforts at the site of a Southern California mudslide. Videophones connect us to live scenes in places where no regular cameras can broadcast. I am captivated by it all.
Especially when it gives me a chance to not only see my daughter in Seattle but to wave at her, too!
For Christmas I gave Eva and Emily a pair of web cams and the software to go with them. I know this is very old technology but it is new for me to be able to have it in my home and use it to see my far-away daughter. The two sisters not only looked at each other today but talked to each other on their cell phones while they looked at each other. Not only that but they also played a game of internet cribbage at the same time.
I reminded me of my youth back in 1960 when I watched with wonder as the television networks broadcast the first "live" pictures beamed from Europe to America by satellite. The satellite was the Echo I and the pictures they showed on the TV were of Big Ben in London and the Eiffel Tower in Paris. I could see cars and trucks moving on the streets and people walking in the distance...in "real time." It was a magical and marvelous moment. It was a moment that changed the world.
Today we see live images of tsunami ravaged coastlines and rescue efforts at the site of a Southern California mudslide. Videophones connect us to live scenes in places where no regular cameras can broadcast. I am captivated by it all.
Especially when it gives me a chance to not only see my daughter in Seattle but to wave at her, too!
posted by Bird of Paradise at 9:36 PM
<< Home