Tandy 100
by Michael Doyle

I watched a show the other day
That reminded me of life lived another way
I smiled on this journey bringing me back
To the late 80s, and Radio Shack

The Tandy 1000 was the trend of the hour
It had an allure that seemed to quietly devour
The attention of many a teenage boy
Boys who knew just enough to know it wasn't a toy

These computers seemed startling in their capability
With the biggest catch being their affordability
Living paycheck to paycheck made it hard to reconcile
But then, how do you calculate the worth of a smile?

We would mow lawns when we had the will and the time
Doing whatever we could to raise enough dollars and dimes
We were determined to help the salesmen move these off the floor
It seemed it was t to discover what we'd use them for

When young girls were busy learning and dreaming about love
What were the young Einsteins busy dreaming of?
They were drifting in and out of the streets of Slumberland
While hoping for a computer they hoped to one day understand

These computers seemed startling in their capability
With the biggest catch being their affordability
Living paycheck to paycheck made it hard to reconcile
But then, how do you calculate the worth of a smile?

I remember those days with great sentiment
As dollars were shifted after much argument
All in the name of computer utility
Until a family would buy one through forced ability

As helpful as it was, for a budget a computer was an intrusion
Which in this modern world feels like free-form confusion
It's hard to say why this technological bright light
Caused so many to fall apart and bicker in fright

These computers seemed startling in their capability
With the biggest catch being their affordability
Living paycheck to paycheck made it hard to reconcile
But then, how do you calculate the worth of a smile?

We never knew how much we'd love inanimate objects
While we grew to allow people to feel like rejects
Crass consumerism grew a larger, wrong way of life
And harmonious relationships gave way to open strife

Time went on and computers grew to become an obsession
Families began to quibble about the value of possessions
Had we paid attention, we'd have known the future
We asked all the wrong questions and forgot to nurture

These computers seemed startling in their capability
With the biggest catch being their affordability
Living paycheck to paycheck made it hard to reconcile
But then, how do you calculate the worth of a smile?

Perhaps in times when we need prove more wise
We should begin in earnest and remember to apologize
There's really nothing we can't beat hand-in-hand
If we start by first seeking to understand

It seems we didn't need computers for society to start
Having been better off leading with our stolid hearts
Again, today, we're confused by the path of technology
Maybe we should learn to rely again on you and me

(c) April 25, 2024   Michael Doyle
All Rights Reserved