Virtual Walls

Today my thoughts were about my robot. I have an irobot that vacuums for me. It has patterns and sensors that keep it moving to completely cover the room eventually. I can set a timer to run when I’m not here. It has a voice that states its needs like when its in a pickle it says, “Please move Roomba to a new location.” Or “Please charge Roomba.” It comes with lighthouses and virtual walls so you can let it know where to go next with the lighthouse or not let it in certain areas that you don’t want it to go. One cool thing is the docking station so when it senses that its battery is low, it docks itself and recharges. Its equipped with everything it needs to do the job it was made to do.

Why am I telling you all about my robot? I’m not selling them or anything but one day a friend of mine also bought one of these robots and she asked me, “Do let it run while you’re not home?” I said no because I’m never sure where it will be when I get back and I end up calling for it like some kind of crazy woman…”Here robot, where are you?”

As a person who ponders numerous conversations for days, I started thinking about the robot and the question posed to me by my friend. I also think about kids and teenagers a lot. Then a huge lightning bolt seared across the sky, lights started flickering and I had an AHA! moment. iRobot is like cildren. I am in such a rush most days, I usually don’t take the time to set up the virtual walls or the timers so it just works randomly throughout my house. It takes twice as much time to clean than if it the equipment was used properly. All the information I need is there, I just have to stop and listen to it or maybe read a manual or two. I don’t really set the timer because I just use it when its convenient for me and my schedule. I have never used the lighthouses really because sometimes I’m not even sure where I think it should go next. Imagine what would happen if our children had no virtual walls, no boundaries, no idea what was coming next or where they should go next. Imagine if we didn’t really take the time to read a manual or search out answers that would help our kids run more efficiently. They come equipped with everything they need to be successful and its our job to keep the batteries charged and the direction clear.