There are times in life when it seems that nothing ever changes- life goes on and on in the same frustrating old way， cliche after cliche. Decades go by. Then suddenly， or so it seems， important parts of life change instantly and forever: a word processing computer replaces my clumsy typewriter， a microwave oven defrosts my food in minutes， and a cell phone makes reaching me in Lisbon， London， or Milan as easy as reaching me at home.