Technological Scare/ Nothing is better than something

Oh! No this blog is not about the technological scare, whole of country is discussing about these days. This is about two technological scares I had in my personal over the past few months. This is about how being old fashioned saved the day for me.

Gone are the days when I used to remember most numbers. Now I key them into the mobile and dial the numbers as and when I require. How disastrous can that be? Recently the software of my mobile crashed. I only have numbers in my mobile and few snaps taken during trips and functions. Other than that, I don’t store anything naughty in my mobile nor do I store any games yet the software got corrupted and so with it went all the memory. I don’t know the reasons for it but only consequence was all the numbers stored in it went for a toss. One good thing I always do is that every number I add to the mobile the same is written down in a diary also. Baring a couple of numbers, I was able to get back all the numbers. Least to say, the process of keying the numbers was painful. Actually, painful is an understatement. This being a family blog site, I will refrain from using the exact words!

The next technological scare came to me in an ATM. Last month I was asked to go to Delhi on an official trip. A trip to Delhi during the winter months means demand from your family for sweaters and other woolen garments. My case was no different. My flight was scheduled for 11:30 am in the morning. At around 8 am, I went to an ATM for withdrawing money to make all the purchases. It happened to be a Sunday and I put my card in to withdraw the money. The dreaded ATM developed software problem and went blank. My card was swallowed into the machine and there was nothing I could do about it. Immediately, I rushed to other bank ATM where I have an account. As my bad luck would have it, there also the ATM was down. Meanwhile the taxi driver had come to my residence. Add to this a call from my boss to recheck some of the figures mentioned in a statement. There was no option but to rush back home to be in time for the flight. Here again, my technological obsolete reflexes saved me the day. I frequently put aside some money in a cash box to provide for any exigencies. When I had started this “old fashioned saving”, I never knew one day it will save me from a technological disaster. I dug into those savings and could make all the purchases. It is another matter of fact that to get back the card from “this premier private sector bank” I had to run from pillar to post for 2 weeks.

These crises and the Satyam fiasco have taught me one good lesson “it saves to be old fashioned”. Henceforth, I have resolved that all my investments will be in the form of Kissan Vikas Patra of Indira Vikas Patra. Atleast I will still have the principal in my hand and the day the Post Office says it does not have money to pay back my deposits, I can very well assume that the country’s finances itself have crashed. Whatever it maybe no more share market investments for me. I would rather prefer to indulge in luxurious expenditure for me and my family and waste the money rather than allow others to make merry with my life savings.

In some cases “Nothing is better than something” because the something which remains back will hurt you more than the nothing.