I have a vexed relationship with technology. Just ask anyone in my mothers’ group. One of them reckons I never answer my mobile phone or respond to texts in a timely manner – and she’s absolutely right. Another suggested I should be ‘tweeting up a storm’ immediately after the launch of The Mothers’ Group back in April. When I stared at her blankly, she started tweeting about it instead (God love her). Meanwhile, another of my mummy pals was busy redesigning my Facebook page which was set to combust with the introduction of ‘Timeline’, whatever the hell that is.
I know I’m Jurassic when it comes to technology. And I’m incredibly fortunate to have a lovely mothers’ group who can save me from myself. Because I’m the sort of person who has a list of all my e-passwords pencilled in the back of my hard-copy diary (a natty little number with reassuring paper pages, designed by a clever member of my mothers’ group – I kid you not – see www.oti.net.au) My recently acquired iPhone – and didn’t I feel sooooo 21st century about that, baby? – is at risk of reassignment to my nephew because my husband keeps bursting into laughter whenever he sees me using it. The comedy, apparently, is that I’m not a natural ‘swiper’. When I touch the iPhone’s screen, Stu says I look like nanna testing to see if the sponge cake is ready. Earnest, tentative and a tad arthritic.
‘I just love my new iPhone, it makes such a great coffee coaster!’
I’m not a digital native. So perhaps it not’s terribly surprising that I’ve been a bit… silent online lately. Sorry about that. But I’ve had many other pressing things to do, friends, including:
- Looking after my three kids. Don’t let anyone tell you that age gaps don’t count. They do. Having three children aged five and under is not just ‘busy’, it’s a Hitchcock movie. What I can’t comprehend is how women do it with four kids or more. Or multiples. In fact, I believe any woman with four or more children, or multiples of any type, should automatically be conferred an Order of Australia.
- Working. Okay, so I observe ‘flexible’ hours and don’t go into an office much. But the fact is, after fourteen hours of Hitchcock, backing up for a further four hours of work is a little… strenuous. And it certainly stops me from tweeting, bleating, swiping and hyping online.
- Writing another book. No, it’s not a sequel to The Mothers’ Group. Truth is, I’m not entirely sure what it is yet. But I’m in the mood for fun.
Still, there are no excuses. Just look at all those mummy bloggers like Mrs Woog, and writers like Annabelle Crabbe and Mia Freedman who have young families and still manage to trot out thousands of quality words online. Look at Leigh Sales or Jessica Rowe – they’ve got kids, successful careers, and prolific tweeting capacities (AND they look gorgeous to boot). Sigh. I just don’t think I’m made of the same stuff.
So you’ll understand, I hope, if you don’t hear much from me over the next nine months. I’m retreating into my writer’s mind – gestating in a different kind of way – and I won’t be adding much to this already occasional blog. You won’t hear a tweet out of me, but I’ll keep my Facebook page updated with bits and pieces. I just hope that you’ll forgive the long silences in between. But be assured of one thing: it’s not you, it’s me. Just ask my longsuffering mothers’ group.
