Back in the day

Traveling abroad for the first time in more than two years, I reflected on how much has changed in a mere 10-12 years. For about ten years I traveled 4-12 times a year, for a week or two at a time, usually internationally. Slowly, bit by bit, we have gone to a less paper-laden system - thankfully - though we still have a long way to go.

In the 90s I carried traveler's cheques - with each $100 cheque requiring my signature before packing the wad away into my large, leather ticket wallet. To redeem them for cash, you had to sign them again. In additional to traveler's cheques I had a wad of tickets, paper tickets, one per flight. Granted TWA existed back then and it usually took less connecting flights to get out of the States from STL, but still I carried a tome of tickets and receipts.

Needless to say, these stacks of paper tickets and traveler's cheques were (almost) irreplaceable - or at least a headache to reissue if they were lost or stolen. Not like these days when you can withdraw cash from any ATM from any credit card in your wallet and simply show your id to get your boarding pass. Back in the day too you could be gate greeted by friends and family, your luggage could be on a different plane than you were, you didn't have to remove your shoes and belt to clear security, and so much more.

Also in the early 90s, Wang computers sat in the aisles outside cubes, communal, DOS like with amber words on a black screen. There was a fax center with Fred the fax man manning the few machines and a Word Processing center with a dozen people who worked on computers all day, typing & formatting your handwritten edits to documents. I remember when Microsoft products were introduced in my office, and training sessions included playing solitaire to learn how to use a mouse!

It's only been 12 years but so much has happened. When I think back it makes me feel old. After all, that length of time marks 1/3 of my life! Back then too when you "*0" out of voice mail you actually got a live person rather than an automated directory which sent you into a neverending loop of directories. Business communications seemed more consolidated - instead of a barrage of voice mails and emails, impulsively sent throughout the day as the idea comes to mind, communications were condensed into one fax or one phone call per day. Typewriters were still used, the internet was new, spam referred to Monty Python or food in a can, and "business casual" was uncommon in the workplace.

Ahh, the old days...interesting to see how fast technology can change ... faster than my gray hairs are popping up, thankfully!