24 Days of Thanks: #10 - #9

#10. Technology

Duh, right. This might sound cliche, but there are actually a lot of things in this category that I'm thankful for, so I decided to just group it all together. Overall though, what I'm most thankful for about technology is that in general it usually makes our lives better in some way, shape or form.

Examples:

• indoor plumbing. if you've ever been camping, then you can really appreciate this one.
• smart phones. navigation included might be enough said despite all the other apps and things these gadgets can do. i'm directionally challenged, so the day I got my smart phone, I was able to find my way, at least to my destination.
• trains, planes & automobiles. think how easy it is to get to where you need to go, when you need and rather quickly (especially if you combine it with navigation). you can travel across the world in just 24 hours or zip to the grocery store in 5 minutes. that wasn't so easy 100 years ago.
• reusable bags for shopping, electric cars, plastic containers made of algae! all these inventions are helping us to be more sustainable as people.
• medical advancements from pacemakers, artificial joints, to organ transplants and antibiotics. it's crazy what can be done to extend/save lives and make us more comfortable and healthier. and there's people who devote their lives to this.
• ipod/pandora. the advancement of listening to your music has gone from boom boxes to walkmans to the ipod and pandora. i can travel with my ipod on the plane or in my car and listen to my choice of music; or i can play pandora and create a station of artists that are similar - so easy! so enjoyable!

The above are just a few things technology brings us, but it's for sure revolutionizing our lives (think about the use of social media during the uprisings in Egypt, Libya); it's connecting us and moving us forward. Hopefully, for the better.

#9. Freedom

Always living in a country where freedom has really not been an issue, at least not in my lifetime, this is something so easily taken for granted. But, as I get older and travel to different places, watch the news and learn more about struggles that are happening around the world, I'm reminded of how easy I have it. I've never had to fight for my freedom, and most of us haven't. Maybe my generation doesn't understand this so well. Most of us take for granted that things are the way they are. It's our right. Well...it may be, but someone has, so many have, fought for that...and many are fighting for that today around the world.

When I went to China last year, I knew that social network sites like facebook were banned, but it was still hard to fathom not being able to use facebook, because, I just can in the US. It wasn't until I tried to log in and load some photos I had taken in Shanghai to share with my family and friends that I truly grasped censorship. So what happened? Of course, the site was blocked (I knew this, but it wasn't a reality for me until I tried). I couldn't even access Picasa, so I had to send the photos in an email. No big deal, but I was frustrated because I wasn't able to do something very minor like sharing photos.

Can you imagine what that's like with something on a much larger scale? And if I answer this truthfully...I can't imagine it, because in the US, we are founded on the principles of freedom...speech, voting, etc. (I'm not saying there isn't some censorship or manipulation of the truth, but it could be a lot different.)

So, I'm extremely thankful that I live in a country that is founded on this principle...where I can choose to do, believe, think, share and say what I want (of course without harm to others), when I want.