As a kid, we only had a house phone. But today I can't make the short drive to work without seeing gads of people yakking on their cell phones. And it is my deepest belief that they make the roads more dangerous. What are they talking about, anyway, that can't wait till they get to a stopping point? Not that I am opposed to cell phones. Not by any means. I have one myself. I just don't use it when I am driving. If I think it's important I pull over.
As a kid I recall having only four channels. We had ABC, NBC, CBS, and if we were lucky we had PBS. And usually we had to go outside to adjust the antenna just to get a somewhat clear picture. Now, everyone has to have the works. Full cable with all 58 of the movie channels. I saw a commercial the other day for a sattelite tv provider advertising over 200 channels, plus all the movie channels free from some period of time. I have cable tv, but it's just basic tv. No DVR, no special channel to show you what's coming on at 3 a.m. Just about 50 or 60 channels. And the funny thing is there's rarely anything worth watching. Some channels even play daily marathons of sitcoms and other programs I never even cared for anyway. And what's with paying for channels I don't EVER watch. I don't watch Spanish channels. I know a little Spanish, but not nearly enough to understand a tv program. Give me the good old days when after school meant going outside to play till dinner time. Then settling down to watch a good family movie together. Cartoons were for Saturday morning only. Now, there's 24 hour cartoon channels, albeit, some of them are a bit racey for kids in my opinion.
And what's up with microwaves? We have one. We use it for popcorn, warming water for tea and such, reheating leftovers. But who wants an entire meal that's been pre-cooked and frozed, then thawed and recooked in a micorwave? I used to eat them. But that was when I had a job that only gave me 30 minutes for lunch. Is it so important that you rush a crazy meal together like that so you can go watch a program you're not really that interested in?
Do people ever have family time any more? We didn't really eat at the dining room table when I was a kid. But there's a good reason. It wasn't big enough. Dinner was usually at my grandparent's house, as the lived less than a mile away. So dinner was usually for aunts, uncles, cousins, grandparents. So we got our plates and ate where we plopped. But it was never alone in front of a tv or in the bed room. It was often we family in the living room, maybe with a football game on. Or on the porch with cousins. But family interaction was key. I know of a family nearby me that rarely even spends time together. The two children, late teens maybe early 20's, are wrapped up in their own goings-on, the wife has a second part time job and is often not home till 9 p.m. and the husband works full time, but runs around on his free time with "his" projects. I thought "HOW SAD!"
Some times Mike and I will play with the dogs in the yard, mess with the chickens on weekends, have a cigarette on the porch in the evening with drinks. With all of today's technology we stuck in a speed trap. I was (am) a big fan of the country group Alabama. One of my fav songs of theirs goes something like this:
I'm in a hurry to get things done
I rush and rush till life's no fun
All I gotta do is live and die
But I'm in a hurry and don't know why
I love the summer time. It's my favorite season. I enjoy spring and fall, as well. I'm not big on winter, but I still see the wonders and beauty of that cold, short-day season. The snow is beautiful and the cold restarts life. This morning as I was backing out of the drive way I noticed the little maple tree I planted last year was just starting to turn red. Maples are so pretty this time of year. I bet Joanna @ Boonedocks Wilcox is getting a beautiful show right about now. It won't be long before there's frost on the pumpkin. Why not take a look around. See the wonders of what God has given us. Tell your spouse, partner, children, parents, you love them. Take a moment before you leave for work or school to breathe in the cool, crisp morning air. Do some cloud watching. Plant some flowers or a tree. Savor the taste or your coffee, your meal, your dessert. Bake a cake. Make life fun.
