Last week, I attended a “Moms for Simplicity” event with Olympic swimmer Dara Torres that was hosted by HP. The whole point of the campaign is to recognize the demands that moms face in this digital age. Who better to talk to about “the juggle” (as I like to call it), than mom bloggers?
We started poolside at Asphalt Green to watch Dara in training. (In reality, I don’t know how much “training” she got in, but it was great to see her in action.) I’m not a good swimmer, so I was especially impressed with how graceful she swam.
I was more impressed by how Dara interacted with everyone. She was very kind. For the record, I would not want to be a celebrity. I need my “space”. Obviously, Dara could handle it. There was one little old lady in particular who just wouldn’t go away. She kept on talking to Dara poolside (and I’m not even going to mention what she did when they went into the dressing rooms to shower off/change…). Don’t get me wrong, I love the elderly, but this lady really was extra. Anyway, our group was eventually able to take a picture together:
(I must share that I was really honored to be included among the following wonderful mom bloggers: Alice, Amy, Dory, Jill, Liz, Maggie and Tracey.)
Later, we had canapés and refreshments at the Riingo restaurant while we had a chance to speak with Dara and one another. The whole point of the event was to discuss how we use technology to simplify our lives. However, on the ride to the restaurant, Liz, Jill and I were discussing whether it did. I have mixed thoughts. On one hand technology makes “the juggle” more challenging, because it gives people more ways to connect with me (even when I want to disconnect). Part of that is my obsessive, Type-A personality though. I like to check things off/complete them, so if there’s a lingering email, text, etc…it can drive me crazy if I allow it to. On the other hand, I can turn technology off and simply use it as a tool to streamline my life. I’m getting better at doing that. Dara shared how she uses various devices to keep her “on the go” lifestyle much simpler. She travels a lot, so she uses her Vivienne Tam mini laptop and Skype to connect with her young daughter. She also uses her TouchSmart computer to pay bills and to keep her schedule in order. We all had some one-on-one time with Dara, but wouldn’t you know – I left my Flip video camera and my Kodak digital camera back at the pool?! (That’s another thing about me and technology – I need it attached!) Besides meeting all of the fabulous women (including Laura Tan who put the event together), my favorite part was getting to “play” with the Vivienne Tam mini laptop. I want one, but I can’t justify getting one right now. (I recently received a new laptop.) It looks like it should be mines though, doesn’t it? In any event, stay tuned because HP is going to be launching a “Moms for Simplicity” themed contest in a couple of weeks. I’ll keep you posted…
