I remember analog. I remember quartz. I remember solar. I do not remember sundials or hour glasses though. I still miss my typewriters, first my standard one (the one which didn’t need batteries or a plug) then my electric one. Modern inventions befuddle me.
Take a television. I remember the first time I ever saw one. I was just five and it was Howdy Doody time. The television was a table model about three feet by two feet by two feet–no kidding. The screen was 7 inches. Color not–back in the 40′s, it was strictly black and white. The reason that TV sets were huge were their cathode ray tubes. Thank goodness, sixty+ years later that it is the picture not the set that is big.
Technology surely changed communication in the world. I missed an episode of 24 this week. My Fios failed to record it. When I called the company, the rep was kind and courteous. Since Fios does not have Fox On Demand, she suggested I go to a computer, pull up the station’s website, and watch it on the computer’s lcd monitor. Simply amazing.
on Jan 30th, 2010 at 9:03 am
Technology is amazing! But one thing for sure I feel very blessed to have the advantage of experiencing life without today’s technology. For you and me it’s a convenience and still a wonder, for my daughter and others her age it is a necessity.
I am not tethered to my cell phone, I don’t own an ipod (in fact I rarely listen to music), I rather read more often than not. Computers fascinate me and I have become somewhat of a Hulu fan but if all went away tomorrow it wouldn’t bother me.
I miss receiving a written letter, or even a phone call – now it’s mostly email. Still all in all it is truly amazing – I wonder what ‘they will’ come up with next? LOL
on Jan 30th, 2010 at 3:36 pm
Dear Bev,
I still miss the simpler world I was born into–the one where people walked places, read books, and families swere together. The Post-WWII era slowly changed things as more and more women entered the work force full time, divorce became more prevalent, and latch key children grew up.
I am technologically impaired to this day, probably because there was so little of it in the early 40′s. I do like the computer though for three reasons–(1) great word processor making it unnecessary for me to copy, an recopy ad nauseum to correct mistakes; (2) spell-check; (3) email getting people back into writing even if not correct formal written language.
TV just isn’t that good anymore. I wonder was it ever or was it just new way back when. Maybe it is the jaundiced eye…. Still love to travel. Now that I have the time for it I wish I had the money to do it more and better. I get exasperated with my adult kids who think that one must be available 24/7 for the cell phone. i tried to explain that it is a convenience for Me not them. Instant gratification, bah humbug!