Friday, April 25, 2008

An Old Vs. Modern (Postmodern?) Friday Five

Singing Owl says: "Yesterday I had two separate conversations in which people were musing about how much change is occurring. The WW II generation, of which my mom is a part, went from horse and buggy to automobiles, saw the lessening, or even the end of many diseases, went from widespread use of kerosene lamps and outhouses (in the country, and most folks were rural)) to a totally electrified and plumbed society. The fastest means of communication was a telegraph. The second conversation--gulp--was about MY generation and how much change occurred in the last half of the 20th century. The person said his 13 year old had not seen a vinyl record album until a few days before, couldn't remember a time without cell phones, and on and on. As for the questions!"
1. What modern convenience/invention could you absolutely, positively not live without? While I suppose if it came down to it I could really live without all of them if I had to, I have to admit I rather like my convenient little life. I like being able to reach out and have contact with my lovely bloggy community with my laptop (and when it was at the computer doctor I pined). And as much as I whine about people being able to call me at all hours, I surely like the convenience of my cell phone to reach them! If someone said I had to give one thing up, though, it would be my TV. That is the thing I would miss the least.

2. What modern convenience/invention do you wish had never seen the light of day? Why? I'm not sure the Hum-vee counts as a modern invention or convenience, but I fail to see why anyone needs to drive a TANK in regular life. If there are good reasons, and anyone is a hum-vee lover, please enlighten me.

3. Do you own a music-playing device older than a CD player? More than one? If so, do you use it (them)? I still have a combo tape/AM/FM radio that has little earbuds. It's bright yellow and when I take it to the gym I get funny looks!

4. Do you find the rapid change in our world exciting, scary, a mix...or something else? Change is always a both/and....but then for those who know me, you know that most things are always a both/and! One of the places change is scary for people is in the church. So many folks are struggling so mightily with the fact that it simply cannot be what it has always been and survive, and yet it is not comfortable for them (or truth be told for anyone) as we move into an unknown future....trusting, gasp, only in God to guide us! I'm feeling pretty in touch with all this right now myself on a personal level too....some days it's all moving too fast and some days the future cannot come fast enough because then I would know whatever answers there are out there that I am supposed to be discovering through all this change!

5. What did our forebears have that we have lost and you'd like to regain? Bonuspoints if you have a suggestion of how to begin that process. More downtime....we have lost that in the twenty-four seven world. Corporately there is of course no going back, so we each have to take our own stand for Sabbath and rest.

10 comments:

Di said...

Laughing about the likelihood of needing to drive a tank...

Auntie Knickers said...

Good play, I agree about the Hummers, can't envision the need. Great #5 too.

Diane M. Roth said...

I don't think anyone needs to drive a tank either, but maybe that's just me :)

and more downtime... I hear you... the 24/7 world has a definite downside.

mid-life rookie said...

Of course Jesus drove a Hummer. How do we know? He lived in the desert and had 12 friends! It seems less necessary in the middle of suburbia. Good Play. Like you, I cherish my contact with bloggy friends.

Lesley said...

I'm with you on both hummers and downtime. And you are so wise on the corporate / individual thing - no point complaining about it if we don't somehow manage to make a stand in our own lives.

RevAnne said...

Great play, esp #5. I don't need a Hummer, myself. Maybe that cute new amphibious convertible...well, "need" is a relative term, isn't it! :)

Dorcas (aka SingingOwl) said...

I had to think about it, but I'm with you in that if I had to give up one modern device it would be the TV. My husband would say otherwise, but I'm not asking him.
;-)

Rev SS said...

Great play. I couldn't have said it any better ... especially #2.

Terri said...

I've actually ridden in a hummer, someone I know out here has one...they are so very cool - but really not at all necessary unless one does off road rugged terrain stuff. As it turns out this person I know resettles rattle snakes - when a person calls the fire department because there is a rattle snake in the house or yard, this person catches the snake and relocates it way out away from people. Sadly rattle snakes are territorial and so only a few of them survive the move...but I guess it's better than just killing it...anyway, I think that's one reason why he has a hummer...

Teri said...

amen--hummers are dumb. Unless you resettle rattlesnakes. There is a girl at one of our local high schools who was given a pink (pepto pink) hummer for her 16th birthday and she drives it all around our little suburban midwestern (read: flat) town. And also she only lives about a mile from school. gross.