Sometimes I laugh at inappropriate times. I’ve been known to get a case of the giggles in the middle of the night when I recall something that happened to me during the day. Or in a crowded movie theater when everybody else is silent. Or in this morning’s instance, the giggles came in the middle of a church hymn. It wasn’t my first time giggling in church. When I was younger, my brother had a habit of leaning over and whispering things in my ear during a long Catholic Homily that would make me giggle until tears rolled down my cheeks.
What made me giggle in church this morning? A mere 10-second glitch in technology. You see, my church prides itself in the audio visual features of a “hands-free service.” This includes a Madonna-style headset for the pastor and no more thumbing through a 600-page hymnal to find the right song. Now the lyrics are projected on a large screen for all to see and sing along. Today in the middle of Here I am, Lord the screen went dark for 10 seconds. For those 10 seconds, Here I am sounded like a remix of the kindergarten choir and gasps of uh oh’s. The man in front of me almost dropped his glasses while fumbling to find the thick green song book. A baby cried. Looks of panic were exchanged. I giggled. The projector lights came back on and everybody relaxed. I was still giggling.
Technology is awesome, but every single day it fails somewhere in the world. Why are we so shocked and unprepared when it happens? My day job revolves around using new technologies to convey a message, strengthen a brand, and ultimately to make money for the company. But you can’t rely only on the technology because it’s just not a sure thing. You can spend $25K on a cool Flash video for your website and then find out that Flash technology will no longer be supported by any mobile operating systems. Oh wait, that did happen!
You need to be an innovative thinker and not just a user of innovation. Be smart, be creative, and be flexible. You never know when the screen will go dark in church or the DVR will malfunction and you’re forced to pull yourself away from the television and into a book, a board game, or maybe a puzzle. No batteries required.
