When I was a kid, my family had one tan rotary phone hanging on the wall in the kitchen. If you had to dial any phone number that included 9s and 0s — boy, that took a while. In my earliest memories we had a party line, sometimes waiting for the neighbor to hang up to make a call. 

We didn’t own an answering machine, and with my dad self-employed as a carpenter, it was often up to my siblings and I to serve as “secretary” when his customers called. Not answering the phone wasn’t an option, and we learned to answer with, “Hello, this is the White residence” and take down detailed messages. 

My parents would leave notes to each other on the pad of paper on the table of their plans if they changed. “Running over to Mom’s. Will be back by 3 p.m.” was scribbled down.

Before I got my first Nokia cellphone at 16, I’d have to use the one public phone in the hallway at school to check in with my mom or dad about picking me up from a basketball practice. When using that new cellphone, it was limited to just necessary phone calls — each minute and text cost money. 

Today, in the hours before writing this column, I’ve used my cellphone to text, call, email, Zoom, update our family’s calendar, make a quick grocery order and capture a video of my daughter in the snow.

I’m a millennial. We are considered the last generation born to know life before and after the complete digital takeover — growing up with and seamlessly adopting the widespread use of the internet, computers and new communications tools. 

While I’m thankful for a variety of ways I can connect with family and friends in an instant, I sometimes long for the slower pace (except for running to answer that kitchen phone). 

In a post on Medium.com, software engineer Lynette Arnold wrote, “And as we navigate all the complexities of the 21st century, it is clear that tradition holds an enduring relevance … This synthesis of the old and the new not only enriches our personal lives but also guides society towards a more balanced and fulfilling future. As much as tech changes how we live, it is the enduring traditions that tell us why we live.” 

In this world of rapid change, it’s comforting to know we can “go home” to the cattle industry where tradition and technology have proven to blend for the better. 

These traditions are grounding. As we move forward in this century, it will be exciting to see how we honor those traditions while thoughtfully implementing new technologies.