Dr Sarah-Jayne Gratton has a PhD in Psychology and an Advanced Diploma in Psychotherapy and Hypnotherapy. She is the author of Marketing Wireless Products (Butterworth Heinemann, 2004) and her work has been published in a number of newspapers and magazines.
Remembering to Remember
Let's face it, nowadays there's no excuse for either partner to forget important events such as birthdays or anniversaries. We can now wirelessly sync our PDAs to display parallel information (and reminders) and our calendars can even prompt to tell us that we need to buy a card, gift and so on; so there's no chance of any big day slipping our minds. This does, however raise the question: "Has technology taken the romance out of modern marriage, or has it positively enhanced it?"
For example, from a wife's perspective, should I celebrate the fact that a reminder pops up on my husband's screen about my birthday several days before the event and then gives him an option to purchase his card and gift online? Should I be thrilled that the same store then provides suggestions as to the ideal gift, based upon my age, weight and hair color? Or should I look back wistfully on yesteryear, when he all too often hurriedly grabbed a bunch of flowers on the way home along with the only ‘HAPPY BIRTHDAY DEAR WIFE" card left in the garage shop and then tried to discretely phone a restaurant to book a last minute table? Should the ‘new and improved' wirelessly-enhanced version of my event-ready husband be applauded or chastised? A personal choice I realise, but I rather liked the bashful last minute romantic offerings of the old Dean. Call me an old fashioned girl, but there was something quite endearing about the sudden realization of the missing card or gift that made the ‘making up for it' so much more romantic than the sometimes all too smug handing over of the perfect (haveIgotagiftforyou.com) prezzie (beautifully gift wrapped as an optional extra of course!).
A Debt of Gratitude
I fear that I may be somewhat straying from the core message of this piece. It was intended from the start to be a grapple of the Grattons, a wireless rant if you will, about how wireless might be used to enhance and improve my husband. Instead, I find myself singing its praises for the most part for having narrowed the distance between us on so many occasions. I guess that I'm just a woman who's content with her man after all. Unlike wireless technology, we don't always want a seamless and invisible connection, especially in the bedroom! Marriage is all too often turbulent, messy and passionate, but that's what fundamentally keeps it alive. So whilst we may have narcissistic fantasies of what the perfect spouse should be I have to admit that absolute perfection would inevitably grow to be boring very quickly; hence a dichotomy forms, since being boring ultimately makes the perfect man imperfect! Similarly, control shouldn't be one sided, as experienced within a wireless context - no master and slave relationship for me thank you very much, but a joining of minds and souls that, if correctly balanced, withstands the test of time.
There is no doubt that wireless technology surrounds us and will continue to grow and, to some extent, dominate our lives. Even smarter homes will rise up with greater incorporated technology and more wireless capability than ever perceived possible, but the truly smart family will be able to distinguish, and nurture, the difference between real-time and real times together. Sounds terribly corny I know but it's a statement that will undoubtedly hold particular meaning for those spouses who see more of their husbands or wives on their computer screens than they do on their sofas.
For as long as I have known my husband, he has been passionate about wireless technology. Out of this passion has sprung an extraordinary career, resulting in the publication of three amazing books on wireless technology along with a string of successful articles. For this, above all else, I owe wireless technology a debt of gratitude and I can honestly say that, for all intents and purposes, my husband has been truly wirelessly-enhanced. So thank you wireless for making my husband the man he is today; successful, happy and, although not always here, always loved.
- Related Videos
- Related Articles
- Ask / Related Q&A
- Marriage Counseling
- Pay Per Click and Search Engine Optimization – A Perfect Marriage & Popular Viral Marketing Techniques
- Traditional Marriage: How the Ibusa People Do it
- Guidelines for Selecting an International Marriage Agency
- Marriage Records
- Find Out The Secrets Behind Marriage Counseling Retreats
- Free State Marriage Records
- Finding the Recipe For a Happy Marriage




Nokia N96 : Incredible Gadget with Incredible Features
By: Alden Jerry | 10/07/2009Nowadays, communication is not just bound within a certain limit. Mobile phones have made the individuals' life easier. The Nokia N96 is one of the popular handsets launched a big brand 'Nokia', that has eased the life of people.
Running a Home Based Business with Satellite Internet
By: Oswald Melman | 09/07/2009The cat’s out of the bag. Millions of people are starting their very own businesses, right from the coziness of their living rooms and making a killing online. The phrase rolling out of bed has taken on new proportions and people are literally making their living from within fifteen feet of where they sleep. It’s really a huge shift.
Getting to Know the World Around You with Satellite Internet
By: Oswald Melman | 09/07/2009Ever heard the song ‘It’s a small world’? As the song proclaims, it’s a small world after all; because really, we are all just people, people living in a small world. The song has never rang so true as it does today. The simple reason behind this is that we are now more connected than we have been ever before. It’s the technology.
Get Your Media Fix with Satellite Internet
By: Oswald Melman | 09/07/2009These days, people are turning to the internet to get their media fix. Who in today’s high octane, fast paced world, can’t live without their Youtube videos, iTunes songs and online news outlets? Even those who live in the quiet and tranquility of rural America get connected to the world at large via satellite internet. High speed broadband is a must in these velocity obsessed times.
Discover Cheaper Calls to the UAE
By: Victoria Cochrane | 09/07/2009Everyone likes to keep in touch with colleagues, friends and loved ones, but when the cost of calling is high, it can be preclusive, let alone expensive. However, you could find a cheaper solution by making telephone calls online.
Monitoring of a jewelery trade fair
By: Dipol | 09/07/2009Monitoring of a jewelery trade fair - Jubinale 2009 in Krakow, Poland.
Outsourcing Calls to India: Personal as well as Corporate!
By: Andrew Regan | 09/07/2009Now that business in India is booming, attracting ex-patriots back from the UK and USA, there is more demand than ever for quality telephone and internet-based call services from families, friends and colleagues trying to get in touch.
Want a Rugged and Tough Mobile Phone? – Try Sonim XP3
By: moosa hemani | 09/07/2009The Sonim XP3 Enduro is the latest addition. Sonim Technologies Xtreme series of mobile phones is build to last and survive for all weather conditions. The Yellow Sonim XP3 is tough and this time it means really tough. Drop it on concrete, submerse in water, expose it to extreme temperatures, and believe it will still keep working.
Quick and Easy Halloween Porch Displays
By: Dr Sarah-Jayne Gratton | 29/10/2008 | HolidaysHere are some very quick and easy ideas to make your porch look extra special this Halloween.
Life Begins at Forty
By: Dr Sarah-Jayne Gratton | 28/10/2008 | Women's IssuesLife really does begin at Forty. Find out why those comments really are true and why you should be celebrating your coming of age.
Top Movies for Halloween
By: Dr Sarah-Jayne Gratton | 27/10/2008 | HolidaysA round up of the all-time top movies to watch this Halloween, with selections for all the family.
Halloween Table Decorations Made Easy
By: Dr Sarah-Jayne Gratton | 23/10/2008 | HolidaysThese decorations take minimal time to create and will have maximum impact on your Halloween party this year.
Wine Guide: Pairing Food With Wine
By: Dr Sarah-Jayne Gratton | 23/10/2008 | Wines & SpiritsDiscover the simple rules that make choosing the right wine to go with your food easy every time.
Banking on the Web
By: Dr Sarah-Jayne Gratton | 21/10/2008 | BankingThese days, there’s no reason why anyone shouldn’t take full charge of their finances. Whether you choose to wiggle your mouse, or manually scour your statements. In today’s shifting world towards total consumer control, we have no excuse for not taking our finances firmly by the reigns and guiding them steadily towards our individual future prosperity.
The Rambling Confessions of a Female Webaholic
By: Dr Sarah-Jayne Gratton | 20/10/2008 | Women's IssuesFor many, the web has bought a kind of closeted freedom that both confines your senses and liberates you at the same time. This article explores the addictive qualities of online shopping from a female perspective.
A Wireless Enhanced Marriage - Part Two
By: Dr Sarah-Jayne Gratton | 20/10/2008 | CommunicationThe second part of an article that raises the question: "Has technology taken the romance out of modern marriage, or has it positively enhanced it?”