After walking around on this old mudball, called Earth, for 88 plus years and seeing/hearing what is going on these days, I wonder how we survived.
We didn’t have TV, smart phones, stereos, cars with automatic shifts, digital watches, electric stoves, clothes dryers, insulated boots, thermal gear, furnaces for heat, heat pumps for heat and cooling, etc., etc.
In other words, we weren’t pampered. These newer generations think that a hardship is when the TV is out or they have to do something they don’t want to do. A lot of them think that previous generations were not as smart as they are, because we don’t adapt to smart phones and computers as good as they do. But, it was the previous generations that invented the internet and other things they use daily. A lot of them can’t read or even write their name without lifting the pen off the paper or telling time on a clock with hour and minute hands.
I think it would be fun to have some of these youngsters attempt to write a 4 page report on a typewriter.
So, how did we make it without all these modern conveniences???? Easy!! We didn’t need them to live our daily lives.
I think the best example is when we had to do a report for school, be it high school or college. We had to get our information from a thing called books, not asking a smart phone or computer. Then it had to be typed on a typewriter that didn’t have delete, spellcheck, grammar check etc. And if you made a mistake you had to pull out the paper and start over. That helped to do it right the first time. No automatic alignment, different fonts or cut and paste.
We had to use a push mower to cut the grass instead of a self- propelled one and hand trimmers instead of a weed eater.
We dug ditches with a pick and shovel, not a backhoe. Spaded the garden area without a roto tiller. There are endless examples.
I know for certain that my generation appreciates these modern gadgets more than the present generations, because we know what it was like without them.
We were able to adapt and live in both worlds. Could they??
I think we had a great advantage in that we had time to think and didn’t clutter up our minds with endless drivel. Our daily chores kept our bodies in good shape. We didn’t need gym visits. We used our brains and muscles to get by. Now it is the thumbs that are utilized.
Another big advantage was family life and companionship. Our families ate meals together and discussed things. Now I see families sitting at a dinner table and they are all thumbing their smart phones. What a waste of precious family time.
I see small groups of kids showing each other stupid things on their phones. Another waste. They are isolating themselves from reality. No wonder AI is growing. Also, there is a lot of pretending these days. We had our Walter Mitty moments, but they were brief and we didn’t stray from reality. We don’t pretend to be someone or something other than what we were born with. We don’t twist the meaning of words and phrases to make us feel better. We don’t try to make more complications in our work and lives, or use phony titles to make us feel important. We strived to make things less complicated and easier for the next generation. That is why these present generations have so much free time to act like 5 year old, spoiled brats that think the world revolves around them. We used our spare time to read, play physical games, hunt, fish, hike instead of filling our brains with a lot of useless junk.
Corporations used to strive to be more competitive and make better products. Now it seems all they do is cheapen their stuff and raise the price and fill their ranks with more useless dead weight.
I am so thankful for the wonderful times I grew up in and the great country we live in.
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