“And the Password is….”

Ever watch the T.V. game show called ‘Password’? It was hosted by Allen Ludden, who was married to Betty White. She was on there quite a bit and was just as cute and funny as she is today. Okay….she is funnier today. And oh, so much richer! Maybe richer makes one funnier. I would not know.

Anyway, the show had folks trying to coax out a synonym from their partner. Now, the awesome part of this game was that the card slipped into a leathery binder. And you could not read the clue word with the naked eye until the word appeared in a reddish-color plastic window. Then all the other gibberish cleared away like magic! We played Password at my Grandma’s. She wouldn’t allow a regular deck of cards because that was ‘heathen’. But we could play word games that appeared due to a Magic Window. Go figure. 

I loved the game, but then I love words. And a lot of famous folks started on game shows. I can’t think of any, but I know it probably happened. My son was on “The Price is Right” and he might be famous someday, so there. Too bad he wasn’t on ‘Password’.

But this is not 1968 it is 2012 and now the term ‘password’ is related to computer log-ins, pin numbers, and codes and such. I get so confused with this secret language. It all is so complicated. Why can’t I just write a quirky phrase or a quote out of “To Kill a Mockingbird”– that I could remember. But no! It has to be eight to ten characters of gobbledegook and funky typewriter symbols and your mother’s maiden name, and your favorite restaurant and shoe size and the grade on your last Spelling test in third grade. Geesh.

Why can’t I just type in: I will not remember this so don’t ask me again. Because truly, that would score with my little brain. I forget pin numbers and pass codes the way guys I dated forgot my phone number. I carry important numbers in my wallet which every techno- savvy person says I should not do. I write log-ins in obvious places because I did not pass Secret Agent Man Class. And I am old. If I can’t remember where I parked my car in the Target parking lot, there is no hope of me finding a hidden black book of important numbers. I tape log-ins to my computer. It is handy that way. Plus…if anyone hacks into my computer, they will die of boredom and scramble to get out of my rickety old network. 

Yeah…I am perfectly content to play the game ‘Password’ than trying to think mine up. And then have to remember them. Grr. Maybe the day will come when you can slide your pin numbers and log-ins  into a leathery blue binder and the red window will magically unlock all of the technology!! I’ll bet Betty White thinks this whole technology game is just not simple enough. But then again, she probably knows all the ‘Passwords’. Allen would be proud.