Aerogramme Or Email

I always used to say in my autobiography classes that you could tell the age of most people by how their milk was delivered as a child. Was it poured directly into a jug left at the end of their driveway? Was it left in milk bottles capped with silver or gold foil that would be pushed up and away from the bottle when the milk froze on cold mornings? Was it bought from Coles in cardboard milk cartons? Or was it bought and received in some manner used between these?

However this morning, as I conversed with family using Facebook messaging, I once again contemplated how I think how you communicate with people is becoming the new tell-tell sign of what age you are.

When I first came to Australia, back in 1985, I used to keep my family up-to-date with my adventures and experiences by filling in, and sending off, a crisp, blue Aerogramme every Friday. While phone calls, at peak times, then cost $2 for a minute – so not too many of those got made.

Now though, I send emails (or messages through Facebook) that arrive almost instantly, and can Skype anyone in my family whenever I like for free – with, of course, the benefit of seeing them and sharing phots and videos. Thirty years ago, I would never have considered the possibility of such interaction, and ask any young person now and they probably consider the past options just as alien.

Communication is so much easier and cheaper. Ideal for people who no longer have a landline they can be called on, or a permanent address mail can be received on. Plus with so many cafes, shopping centres and community buildings generously offering free wifi, there is never any risk of a Digital Nomad being out of touch for long.