No technology era was truly a blessing!
I miss the days when “technology” just meant a sturdy little keypad phone tucked inside our parents’ pockets and a bulky television standing proudly in the corner of the living room. The TV had a stubborn antenna that needed constant attention. Every other evening someone would climb to the terrace while another person shouted from below, “Bas… bas… thoda left… arre right! Ruk jao! Aa gaya signal!” It was our own version of wireless communication.

There were no notifications demanding our attention every minute. The only notification we cared about was Doordarshan’s iconic tune announcing that our favourite cartoon was about to begin.

We waited all week for Sunday mornings because that was when Gali Gali Sim Sim slowed life down for a little while. Missing an episode meant waiting another entire week—there was no replay button.

Our parents’ keypad phones had only one purpose: calling people. Yet we somehow spent hours playing that snake game, composing ringtones, and typing messages by pressing each button three times. We memorized phone numbers instead of saving hundreds of contacts.

Summer vacations were never spent staring at screens. They smelled of mangoes, Rasna, and wet mud after the first rain. When electricity disappeared—and it often did—we didn’t panic(infact waited for it). We gathered on rooftops under the stars, listened to stories from our parents, talked for what felt like an eternity, counted satellites, chased fireflies, and waited patiently for the fan to start spinning again.

Photographs were precious because every click mattered. We posed carefully, smiled awkwardly, and waited days for the film to be developed. There was no deleting, no filters, no endless retakes—just imperfect moments that became perfect memories..and going through the same photo albums again and again was a family afternoon ritual!

Maybe life wasn’t easier. Maybe we simply didn’t know what we were missing. But we had something today’s endless technology quietly steals from us—patience, wonder, and the ability to be completely present.

Sometimes I don’t miss the outdated technology itself.

I miss the life that came with it. The slower evenings. The louder laughter. The neighbours who walked in without calling. The cousins who stayed for weeks during summer holidays or visiting our grandparents. The excitement of waiting instead of instantly getting everything. Those days gave us memories instead of notifications, conversations instead of scrolling, and a childhood that still feels like home. ❤️