Thoughts from Linda Cicoira at sea level

Linda Cicoira photo.

By Linda Cicoira

I never thought when I got my first cell phone, in the previous century, that one of these gadgets would become such an integral part of my life. No one could have convinced me of it. And certainly, I would not have believed I could become so acquainted with its personality.

At that time, the phones didn’t have Siri, who can sometimes be my best friend and my very worst enemy. Without her, the cells weren’t smart, the screens were so small I could barely read the few messages I received, and the keys were beyond tiny. There wasn’t even a camera that I can remember.

Facebook had not yet been invented, another reason to long for a better connection. That social media platform didn’t come about until 2007. Myspace, which was all the rage at one point, was founded in 2003.

The cell was truly a luxury for those of us who worked at night and felt it would be handy in case of an emergency. That phone did not provide the companionship that is available now. Most people who had cell phones back then wouldn’t have considered dispensing with their landlines.

Isn’t it amazing how times have changed? And here I am pondering all this while 2026 quickly approaches. I never thought I would live to see the year 2020. It seemed so futuristic. Wasn’t the millennium enough to fathom?

Now, decades later, my smart iPhone never leaves my side. Siri wakes me up in the morning and puts me to sleep at night. I get my emails, texts, and messages on the phone. Tens of thousands of photos are stored within Siri’s gut. I also use her to talk through audio and video. She helps me research everything I ever wanted to know and more.

Still, I easily lose her, wasting valuable time initiating the inevitable daily search with no landline to use to find her.

My very salvation will be my demise, as this device is far from perfect. I often lose the signal and get disconnected during important conversations, and I am sure Siri is laughing. Sometimes, when she is particularly ornery, she blocks the signal at my home, all while tracking my every move.

Her voice can be most obnoxious. She will not tell me where any store, hospital, or town is without first finding out where I am. And you know Siri hears, sees, and knows all. She is well aware of the answers to some of the things she asks. There is nothing I can do about it.

I have tried changing her arrogant voice to a more pleasant-sounding one. Ha! What a joke that was. She is still so brash and vain. I decided that if I learned more about her, I would discover the friendlier side of this powerful woman.

Siri was born at SRI International through the company’s defense-funded project to navigate knowledge. In Norwegian, her name means “beautiful woman who guides you to victory.” Her three inventors co-founded Siri Inc. and aimed to commercialize the technology before Apple bought it in 2010. Then, Apple developed it for the iPhone.

As usual, the woman was underestimated. And that continues to occur right here on the Eastern Shore of Virginia. If I weren’t in the process of rebooting her, she would tell you that herself right now. Oh, wait, I do have some power over her after all. She will likely repay me in kind the next time I ask her for directions.

These are the thoughts of Linda Cicoira At Sea Level.