Remember when you used to have to bring along giant paper maps when you went on a family vacation?  Seems like ANCIENT HISTORY.  We might as well have been driving in a horse-and-buggy and yelling about how the British were coming.  A new study examined the basic skills that are disappearing the fastest because of modern technology like smart phones and tablets.  Here are the top seven:

#1.)  Handwriting.  And people specifically mentioned that handwritten thank-you notes are quickly disappearing.  I know I kinda surprised myself the other day, I was writing a note in a birthday card and my hand started to cramp a little.

#2.)  Using a dictionary or encyclopedia.  Now we just Google words to find out what they mean . . . or research things on Wikipedia. I know I'm guilty of this.

#3.)  Mental math.   But I never could REALLY do it anyway. Two plus two? Sure.  Much more complicated than that, and I'm kinda feelin' stupid.  So many times I'll just write down the total on a restaurant check because I don't want to take the time to figure out what the tip total is.

#4.)  Reading a map.  The GPS and mapping apps have made maps obsolete.  Heck, even with that stuff I still am not great at directions.

#5.)  Finding something at the library.  No one remembers how to find a book using the catalog and the Dewey Decimal System anymore.

#6.)  Playing board games.  Every board game has an iPad version now.  Although on this one, I think my family is one of the last hold outs.  We love board games.

#7.)  Sending a postcard.  We publish our own vacation photos on Facebook instantly now, so there's no real need to send a postcard.  I had a friend once who was trying to send something in the mail, and he had to ask me where the address went.  He was TWENTY FIVE.

Are there any lost skills you've noticed over the years?

Mentally yours,
Behka

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