There are certain times in your life when you feel the need to reflect. Sometimes this leads to feeling really great, and other times, it makes you feel like time is passing you by. This New Year, I find myself falling by the wayside.

The reason for this fall from grace can be summed up in one simple word: technology.

Up until this year, I loved technology and all it had to offer. Cell phones, fax machines, e-mail, picture phones, digital cameras; you name it, I loved it. Then, I met my match in the form of a newfangled gadget sweetly named the iPod.

Don't be misled by the tiny little name that conjures up images of cuteness and ease. Rather, this little device has caused me big headaches since Father's Day.

That's right. I've had the gadget that was supposed to replace my beloved Sony Walkman (which at the time was top of the line; nothing could come close to its clarity) since Father's Day. That was in June, remember.

Finally, over this Christmas holiday, my brother-in-law was kind enough to step up to the plate and transfer all of my CD's into my computer and then onto this iPod that is about as big as my ever-growing MasterCard.

He tried to show me what he was doing, and for about a millisecond I actually followed his instructions. Shortly into the entire dissertation, I realized, however, that I was nodding my head in agreement and had absolutely no idea what he was talking about.

Truth be told, he lost me right after inserting my favorite CD into the CD part of my computer, which is also quickly becoming about as trendy and fashionable as my CD collection from the 1980s when big hair bands rocked Three Rivers Stadium each summer.

What really threw me for a loop, though, was that fact that I can now go to the Internet, find a song I like, buy it, copy it and send it to my new iPod. Well, at least I am supposed to be able to do this according to the instructions and my brother-in-law (who works for a rather large computer company that starts with an "M" and ends in "Soft.")

This New Year, I find myself realizing that technology, and for that matter much of the modern world, is passing me by. My kids have toys that I can't figure out and my students all have cell phones that do everything from math to take pictures and send e-mail.

It's as if my life, and our entire society, is living like James Bond. I remember when James Bond was Sean Connery, by the way, and he had a fancy phone in a shoe and a gazillion other neat gadgets designed to make his life as a secret agent a little more mysterious. All of these gadgets have come to life in the 21st century!

One of the reasons it hit me so hard this year is that my birthday is near the holiday, which causes me to reflect on the past year and whether or not I met my goals.

One of my goals was to take a Web-building class. That did not happen, nor did the computer programming class or my desire to post my grades online this semester. Oh-for-three is not a great record. In fact, if I coached anything other than midget football, I'd be fired for that record.

I can continue to fight the good fight or I can give up and be content knowing what I do about technology and making my life "simpler."

Since the goal of all of these innovations is to add comfort and ease to my crowded life, I need to confess that I have pretty much peaked where I am, at least with regard to using technology to my advantage. Continuing the struggle would actually add time to my already jam-packed schedule and cut into my hectic pace. So long as I can check e-mail, write my columns and set my fantasy football lineup, life is good.

If you think this is nothing more than a guy getting old and deciding to quit, think again. One day, all of you technology-dependent-can't-live-without-my-Blackberry-e-mail-iPod-soap-on-a-rope (I added that one) folks are gonna find yourselves without a power cord. I will be happy to do your work manually or teach you how to do it the old-fashioned way — for a fee, which will probably be to program my newest gadget.