It’s like comparing APPLES and apples
BY MARIAN NEMETSKY
Not so long ago, and not
so far away, it was easy
enough to abide by the
saying, “An apple a day keeps the
doctor away.” There were red,
yellow, green, sweet, not so sweet,
tart, round, not so round, apples to
choose from. They could be eaten
raw, cooked, baked or prepared in
any way that you liked. WE consumed
THEM.
Today we have Apples that are
flat, rectangular or square, with
rounded edges. They come in
black, red, blue, green, purple and
silver. We use them in hundreds of
ways; write e-mails, texts, Zoom,
take pictures, watch movies, count
our steps, monitor our heart,
weight and general well-being. So,
the question that comes to mind is,
“Do THEY consume US?”
Have you ever started to write
an e-mail and paused, looking for
the right word? Suddenly, there
are four words that appear below
your message, tweaking your brain,
reading your mind, and giving you
choices for the best word to complete
your sentence. “Ah, yes,” as
you choose the one that sounds the
best, “that’s just what I wanted to
say.” But in the back of your mind
were you thinking, “How did they
know that?”
Recently, my friends and I wanted
to go to a certain mall, but none of
us knew the way. One friend drove,
the other navigated, and I was the
silent passenger. The navigator used
Siri for the driving directions. As
we neared our destination, the
navigator said, “Siri. I love you.”
To which, Siri replied, “You are
the wind beneath my sails.”
“Yikes!”
I know there are apps that can
be used to remind a person of their
appointments, schedules and necessary
calls or texts to be made. I’ve
never learned how to access them.
Twentieth century methods are my
forte. A huge calendar, and post-it
notes, which give birth to post-it
notes are my tools. Imagine my
surprise when three days in a row,
messages appeared as I opened my
iPhone that read, “text your friend
Helen, and call your granddaughters.”
As a curious and obedient
person, I followed up. Each of the
recipients of that call or text said,
“I was just going to call or text you.
Did you know that…?” I could hear
the Twilight Zone music in my ears,
and was awestruck.
I texted my son to ask about his
and my daughter-in-law’s reaction
to their second Covid vaccination.
He texted his reply. Then I was
distracted and turned away from
my iPad for a while. When I went
to resume texting, there was the
message ok, in my reply section.
The scary part was that I NEVER
WROTE IT!
Not so long ago and not so far
away, we were able to munch and
crunch apples whenever or however
we chose to, doctor’s orders
notwithstanding. In our innocent
and unsophisticated days, WE
consumed THEM.
Today, we use our Apples hundreds
of times a day, without a
doctor’s prescription. We are
knowledgeable, educated and
sophisticated. Yet, is there any
doubt that, as they crunch our
brains, and munch our words,
THEY consume Us?
Around the Towers
BY BUD BANK/PHOTOS BY LEO
TUJAK
Today I woke up my usual time. I looked into
the mirror and was shocked to see this elderly
man. It was hard to believe, I thought to myself,
what can I do? I then remembered a friend of
mine who is in the Camera Club told me anytime
I wanted a picture, he has 15 available in his
apartment. I called him and he invited me to
look at the pictures.
I went to his apartment and picked out a beautiful
picture. It was the exact size of my mirror.
Since I’m not a handyman, I hired and paid a
handyman to put up the picture. I now get up
every morning and the first thing I look at is this
beautiful picture. What is the moral of the story?
If you have a problem, there is always a solution.
This morning I got on the elevator and there
was a young lady on the elevator. She said “Sir,
what floor are you going to?” Why couldn’t she
just ask what floor was I going to, why did she
have to say “SIR”? Ah, “The Golden Years.”
The weather is getting nicer and nicer, so I
took a walk in the Courtyard. People are out and
about. They were sitting on every bench; it was
wonderful seeing them all outside. A gentleman
was sitting on the bench in front of the bus stop,
reading a newspaper which he does every day.
About 10 feet behind him was another gentleman
sitting in his folding chair listening to music, he
is also there every day.
A few days later, I took a walk to the Beaumont
lounge, which has been redone and it is gorgeous.
What a great place to sit with friends, I would
love to sit with friends in the Beaumont Lounge-
-my next priority is to find some friends.
I then stopped at Linda Rappaport’s on-site
real estate office, which she updated and modernized.
Like her, it’s beautiful. Linda has a
wonderful and professional sales team. She sold
my apartment in Building Two and sold me an
apartment in Building One. She made all the
arrangements and arranged for the movers, etc.
When I use the word “professional,” that’s Linda
and her staff.
My next stop was the Pouran Salon, Spa and
Boutique, one-stop shopping for all our residents.
If you want your hair done, a massage, a manicure,
or a pedicure, Pouran’s is the place. All the
The beautiful Beaumont Lounge
employees have been vaccinated. She has been
on this site for 42 years. Her Boutique has the
latest fashions and beautiful jewelry and residents
have told me that her moisturizer is fantastic.
It’s starting to feel like the good old days. I
hope you all enjoy my articles. I enjoy writing
them. Hope to see you around so we can say
hello.
Be healthy and happy, Bud
Linda Rappaport’s welcming office
Pouran’s one-stop salon
32 NORTH SHORE TOWERS COURIER ¢ June 2021