Ten minutes to write. Less time to read.

It’s the little things that take the most getting used to. For instance, the new headset I bought a couple days ago, so that I could talk on the telephone with my hands free, is very different from my previous one. It isn’t just the color, which is white instead of black. Nor is it the brand name.

It’s littler things than that. Like how much smaller the buttons are and how much louder the ring is. And how different it sounds. In fact, I was in the kitchen demolishing a tuna sandwich when my new phone rang, but the “tune” was not the one my ears were accustomed to. In the back of my mind a voice asked: “Hey, isn’t that your phone?” “Nah,” I mentally replied.

I have a new calculator too. One of its features is that it turns itself off when its buttons aren’t pushed for a certain amount of time. I imagine this is a battery-saving feature, but it’s driving me nuts. When I want to calculate, I want my machine at the ready.

In time, I’ll get used to these new versions of old gadgets and, like Pavlov’s famous dog, I’ll come running when the bell rings.