I’m honestly tired of technology

I like being able to pay bills and donate to charities online. When I started doing so, it was a simple and efficient way to pay bills and donate to charities and church. There was no hassle with envelopes, stamps, and addresses. No concerns about getting the payment out in time not to miss the deadline to pay before fees were assessed or important things like gas or electricity was cut off. (I am careful and try to beat those deadlines as far ahead as possible.)

Only evil and criminals don’t stop when new technology beckons. They are often a head of the curve in the newest technology for money exchange. And, they don’t care whom they hurt, whether those they steal from are well off or living paycheck to paycheck. Criminals were catching on. Passwords became a necessary evil. It wasn’t so bad, at first. Then double protection was required. Now codes are texted. The assumption is that everyone has a cell phone and that a cell is everyone’s lifeline. Not true. 

Our cell phones have been used primarily when we leave the house. We still use a home phone. Can’t text with that phone. If a business doesn’t offer an alternative to texting, like an email address, we have problems with that business since we can no longer access our account.

Also, in order to protect both business and clients, methods to protect are often upgraded until the passwords I used yesterday won’t work today. The whole process is no longer simple or efficient. Changing passwords becomes frustrating and complicated.

I ran into that situation recently when attempting to pay our yearly house insurance on line. My password no longer worked. I didn’t have time to create something new just to get feedback like “we have no client by that name” or “passwords not sufficiently complicated” or other barriers to changing a password.

I sighed. I had the printed-out information I received by snail mail. Turning away from my computer, I grabbed what few of the younger generation even understand—a checkbook.

I quickly wrote out a check, tore off the part of the letter with the account and billing information and stuffed both in the accompanying envelope. Sealed the envelope and added a stamp. A walk to our mailbox and the payment was on its way to its destination. No double, triple passwords, no codes that may or may not work.

Simple, quick, efficient. And I don’t even need a computer to pay my bill. Maybe in today’s culture, old fashion ways of doing some things shouldn’t be so quick to be discarded. After all, having a check handy saved me lots of frustration. For now, that’s good enough for me.

© 2025 Carolyn R Scheidies
Published in Kearney Hub 12/22/2025

Feel free to share