We have been privileged to witness the transition from a
world without computers to the marvels of the Internet surrounding us. The world of gourmet foods was only for the
upper class not too long ago. A
telephone was strapped down to the walls for a long time, and now it’s unusual
not to have one in our pocket. Does
anyone remember film? How about a
pocket calculator—never mind a slide rule?
Transistor radio? How about
defrosting the refrigerator? Ice box?
My wife’s mother once told her about watching a movie
projected onto the side of a barn back in the 1920’s. It showed a train coming directly at the viewers, and they began
to panic because their minds weren’t used to such realism. Nowadays we watch almost any kind of action
movie with a wide array of special effects, and we just sit and enjoy the
movie. Not often do we go into panic
mode when something appears to be coming directly at us.
My mother’s mother remembered the first car she ever
saw. She described it as a light buggy
with a motor and a paddle for steering.
My mother’s father used to talk about using wooden tools as an
electrician (Sparky) in the navy a number of years before WWI. I remember my mother trying to learn to
drive a car with power steering and power brakes. It took a while, and many bruises, for her to transition to such
a luxury.
Even in my own (almost) seventy years, I’ve witnessed many
changes. Sputnik. A man on the moon. We had party line, crank box telephones. Electricity was from a generator in back of
one of the barns. How about well water?
Outhouse? Wood burning stove?
I remember the good times of days long past, and I remember
the bad times as well. But I don’t long
for the “good old days.” I’m enjoying
those right now.
