Garv likes to listen to music while puttering in the garage, weeding the gardens and especially on weekend mornings, sitting on the patio sipping tea and devouring newsprint. So, for his birthday present I wanted to give him one of those wireless speakers that release such sublime acoustics it sounds like you are in front of live musicians.

I began my research. Which brand would be best? Is the speaker completely wireless with a rechargeable battery and optional power cord? Which devices will it pair with: tablet, phone, computer, TV? Will he use his own music library or stream?  I didn’t want to spend the time to weigh the pros and cons of all the variables so I asked my kids if they would figure it all out.

“Will you just pick out the speaker, set it up and figure out the best music option?” I asked in my most pleasant mom voice.  They both looked at me as if I asked them to fold my laundry and put it away for me.

“Seriously mom?” asked my son. “You train people how to use computers. You can figure this out. It’s not difficult.”

“Yeah mom,” my daughter added, “you just pair the speaker and stream the music from dad’s phone or tablet.”

Request denied and I realized two things. First, my children will obviously not be coddling me in my old age. And second I knew I would have to choose, buy and setup the speaker on my own. Ok, fine!

As most Boomers, I am not intimidated by technology. Boomers have been working with computers since the early 80’s. We purchased the first “mobile” phones even though they were the size and weight of brick patio pavers. Before plug ‘n’ play or wireless pairing, we read the thirty eight page “Quick Set Up” guide to hook up our kids’ first Nintendo systems. And we were probably masters of Tetris and Mario Kart. Have you ever heard of Steve Jobs or Bill Gates? Hmmm, both Boomers I believe. Nope, Boomers are not intimidated by technology.

But I became resistant to buying this speaker and inexplicably longed for simpler low-tech days. I wished it was 1979 and I could run out and buy a Sony Walkman. Just pop in some batteries and a cassette and you were good to go.   I had a feeling that superior acoustics and access to almost any song ever recorded was on some level going to cost me much more than the $150 it would have cost me to buy the Walkman in the 70’s.

But it was a present for a special guy so I ignored my resistance, bought a speaker, brought it home and read the directions. As the speaker was docked and charging, I began the process of downloading the app of a popular internet radio. I began to feel less resistant and a tiny bit smug about my tech acumen.

Then it happened. The source of my earlier feelings of resistance made a grand entrance on the screen of my own phone! Brazen, confident, and in my face the music streaming provider asked me THE question.

‘Will you give me permission to access essentially every bit of information on your phone in exchange for the use of our internet radio? Simply Accept or Decline.”

I tapped the Decline button. I was defeated. Technology – 1   Me – 0

Ultimately on his birthday, Garv did sip his tea, devoured newsprint and listened to music coming from his new speaker. Granted, the music was not new to him as it was music he owned and downloaded to his tablet. And granted there was a wire involved connecting his new “wireless” speaker to the tablet but he enjoyed it all the same. And I, at least for a while longer, held on to a little piece of my soul by refusing to give a company a list of my personal contacts, appointments, photos and walking routes.

So, when it comes to technology…

“What’s a Boomer to do?”

I don’t know. Is it just me, or does it make other Boomers indignant to be required to trade personal information for the use of an app? Where do you draw the line?