do you remember the early days of TV remotes

only a few buttons to control the power on and off

and of course the channel up or down

you did not need a masters degree in computer science operate them

as TVs became more sophisticated

more buttons appeared on the remotes

at first it was a big novelty

I have wasted many hours in hotel rooms exploring every button on the TV remote

we have all had those terrifying home alone moments

when we randomly pressed a few buttons on the TV remote

to find the picture size reduced to a postage stamp

with no idea whatsoever on how to get it back

it usually takes a teenager to fix it

they are born with a savant like knowledge of everything electronic

older folks prefer to stick with a couple of trusted friendly buttons

and treat the others like an unexploded minefield

remotes started to come with everything you bought for the home

the powered blinds had a remote

the stereo music system had a remote

the remotes in the home outnumbered the occupants by far

then along came the smartphone

with apps for everything

that could do the same as the remotes

remote controls lay lifeless and ignored  buried in drawers

manufacturers then realized it was cheaper not to supply a remote

they pulled you in by advertising the app for the device

which you eagerly download onto your phone

you can now control almost everything in your home with a phone

my phone now has so many apps that I struggle to find the right one

infrequently used apps impudently ask me for a password that I can never remember

so I tend to stick to my few trusted friendly apps

and treat the rest like an unexploded minefield