Address book will prevent losing contacts

Well ... it finally happened. I had been tempting fate for years by not keeping my address book updated. When you have a cell phone to hold all your information, who needs an address book, right?

Me ... that's who. I dropped my cell phone, breaking it beyond repair, and lost all my contacts.

But, let me back up a few decades. When I was in middle school, I saw a movie (the name of which I can't remember) in which the main character carried his "life" in his Rolodex(?) personal planner. This was before digital planners existed, so it was the old-school, binder-type planner. 

As I recall, the fellow lost his planner. It was so complete that the person who picked it up was able to impersonate the man. 

I'll admit: I was impressionable. The on-screen organizer was a bulky, jam-packed tome, so I was impressed that this fellow had so much going on in his "life." Anyway, I wanted a full organizer (life?) like that someday. When I was in college, I purchased a 3-ring binder-type organizer; I could add pages as needed. After a few years the binding gave out and I repaired it with duct tape. Good as "new"!

After college, not impressed with my well-worn binder, one of my new sisters-in-law gave me a stylish replacement with a Victorian garden theme.

I've used it for more than 20 years. It's holding up better than me, as I didn't keep the information updated beyond adding the occasional name and address and crossing off names each year while filling out our Christmas cards. 

With more names crossed off than not (because of the loss of family and friends), and with the recent loss of my phone contacts, I've come to the realization that it's time for a new low-tech backup. So, I put "stylish address book" on my Wish List for "Santa" — aka, my husband.

And, I'm going to make a note to myself to get an extra telephone and address book to start filling for the child who will be (all-too-soon) leaving home.

I'm sure he'll enjoy picking out such an "easy" gift.

I can't be the only one who still relies on low-tech "information backup," can I? Do you still depend on good old pen and paper, too?

PS: I'll amend this blog post after Christmas, and let you know which book I received and how I like it (i.e. product review).

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