Couple of days ago my computer broke down. It was the first time in years that I didn’t have the 100% mobility of a WiFi enabled laptop. And it hit me how dependent I had become on technology, and how so much of my day to day routine centered on the convenience and accessibility WiFi offered.

For one thing, I couldn’t check my email whenever I wanted to. I had gotten used to logging on while having breakfast on the veranda, sipping a cup of coffee while one hand lazily scrolled down the messages. Nor could I read the snippets of business information on my favorite business websites, or pay last minute bills through the online payment centers. Usually I get all of that done in 30 minutes even before I take a shower. Without my laptop, without WiFi, I had to wait until I could get to the office—and you know how things can get at the office It was well after lunch before I even get around to logging on the Internet.

Even my wife, who’s not into gadgets, found herself paralyzed without WiFi and the laptop. With a toddler to take care of she’s lucky if she can find time to take a long shower, much less log on to her favorite discussion boards and visit the scrapbooking sites which she finds so relaxing to read. Usually she does this during our son’s nap, positioning herself in the kitchen, surfing while waiting for the chicken to roast. No WiFi, no multitasking, no freedom to go on the Internet in the precious few minutes she had to herself.

When the laptop was fixed, and we were once again WiFi enabled, both of us felt a deep sense of relief.