By Leigh C. Merrifield
Now & Then
My son and I were having a conversation one day not long ago, and I don’t remember how we got on this subject, but he asked me if I was glad that I had grown up when I did. Bless him – he didn’t use the words “way back when”! It didn’t take a lot of thought on my part, and I quickly assured him that YES, you bet I’m glad I grew up THEN!
Not that I grew up in the horse and buggy days, mind you, but so many things have nevertheless changed A LOT!
Change can be a good thing in many circumstances – particularly beneficial if it results in progress, However, not all changes result in progress.
Let me go back to THEN:
*I know that when I was a kid, my family sat down every evening and ate dinner together and conversed with one another. I’d be curious to know how often that happens in today’s world. I’ll guess that more often than not, they eat at different times, some eating in front of the TV, or they drive through a fast food place because running their kids to so many after-school activities, there is not much time to prepare a home-cooked meal – especially since both mom and dad are usually working parents. Personally, I don’t think that lack of family sharing is beneficial.
*Now, hold onto your hat! When I grew up, our doors were often not locked when we were away from the house or at night. In fact, during the summer months, the doors were open so that an occasional breeze might blow through the screen doors and cool things down a bit. Nor did homes require adding deadbolts and security systems to safeguard against harmful entries. Yet, our safety never seemed compromised back THEN.
*Hold your hat again! I remember when doctors actually made house calls! And if you were hospitalized, your very own doctor with whom you were familiar truly made rounds in the hospital to check in on you him/herself!
*Believe it or not, I somehow managed to grow up without a cell phone to track me down. I didn’t require a phone call or text message to tell me to come home for dinner. My dad had an ear-piercing, unmistakable whistle and that was more than sufficient to get my attention! I knew it was time to head home.
*Games we played “back THEN” were board games and card games – not digital games on devices that no longer require you to actually spin a real wheel.
*How about this? I learned to type on the vintage typewriter where you had to manually return the carrier to the next line! Yep, and we managed to get along before computers too; imagine that! However, I must admit that computers do have their benefits. They will underline a misspelled word for you, highlight missing punctuation …and tap the Thesaurus key to quickly find a synonym! No need to purchase erasable paper anymore either; just highlight, make your corrections, and carry on! I have to confess – especially in my line of work – that the computer has been a time-saving asset.
*Have you noticed how many things today are SMART? SMART TVs, SMART phones, SMART watches, etc. All of these SMART gadgets are often smarter than those operating them! But the needed skills can be learned evidently because today’s pre-schoolers and even toddlers are very capable of using them. While they may be entertaining and somewhat educational, parents are warned not to allow their children to become too addicted to digital gadgets or they might end up with what is now called “tech neck”!
*Do you know why cell phones have parental controls?
The answer is not a tough one; an easy explanation is “child protection”! Responsible parents want to ensure their child’s safely, protecting them from cyber bullying, filtering inappropriate content, limiting them from explicit and what could be dangerous and inappropriate websites. These were not parental concerns “back THEN”. Good parenting NOW must set digital boundaries, and this may often be unpopular with kids today. However, hopefully as their children mature, they will realize their parents’ main concern was just to ensure their safety.
The biggest difference between NOW & THEN is stricter supervision where heightened technology is concerned.
Where the tech world may be advantageous in some circumstances, just remember it may also involve risks. Stay aware!!!!!
Quote of the week: “STILL, the most technologically efficient machine that man has ever invented is the book!” – Northrop Frye
