Back in the Olden Days

Back in the olden days, life was so much simpler.  No cell phones.  Not computers.  No Bluetooth.  Heck, I thought I was cool because I had a solar powered calculator!  Why am I talking nostalgic?  (Or talking crazy…)  This week’s Monday Listicles topic is 10 Trappings of Modern Life.  So, read on, link up, and have some fun!  Next week’s topic is 10 Things Halloween.  Spooky.

1. Cell phones – Seriously, think about how far they have come in such a short amount of time.  When I got my first cell phone– it was a big ole’ brick of a phone with Airtouch, the precursor to Verizon.  I had to pay per minute plus a $9.99 monthly fee.  (Speaking of which, I had to WRITE A CHECK -*gasp* – to pay the bill.  Now, you can make phone calls on your watch!  You have a billion minutes, unlimited data, and free coffee service for a monthly fee.  You can’t even FIND a phone booth or pay phone anymore.  Heck, most people don’t even HAVE house phones.
2. GPS Navigation – How did we ever survive without a little computer voice giving us turn-by-turn directions?  What happened to the days of pulling out the road atlas or unfolding the state map to find your way?  I would venture to guess that most kids don’t even know how to READ a map.  I remember in 6th grade, our teacher teaching us how to read a road map during study hall.  I thought I was so cool the next time we planned a trip because I could read the map.
3. Mobile Banking – Okay… this goes with the cell phone thing.  Seriously, the other day I took a picture of a check with my cell phone and deposited it into my bank account.  Now, I don’t need to go to the bank.  Guess the kids aren’t getting any suckers…
4. E-Readers – What happened to the fun of going to the library and checking out books?  The adventure of going to the used book store to find the perfect book?  The smell of the books?  The weight of it in your hand.  The thrill of being able to bend down the corner of the page to save your spot.  Now, we have e-readers  that fit in the palm of your hand.  There isn’t a trip to the book store or library.  Just log on and download a new book in minutes.  You can also read books on your cell phones… go figure.  Heck, at our library in town you can even “borrow” digital books.
5. Fake food – The whole thing of artificial sweeteners kills me.  Seriously, “here sweetie, have some fake sugar.”  When my kids were little, I was concerned about autism, like most parents.  I kept trying to think of what had changed from when I was a child to now.  I landed on several things – fire retardant pajamas and artificial sweeteners, among other things.  So, guess what… my kids have never had artificial sweeteners.  Never.  They also didn’t wear fire retardant clothing.  Hey, I might be a bad mom… but, my kids weren’t consuming fake food.  Just sayin’.
6. Energy Drinks – This is the height of modern life trappings.  Energy drinks.  You know, if you didn’t stay up half the night texting on your cell phone and playing games, you wouldn’t need a shot of who-knows-what at 3 p.m. to get you through the day.  Drink some water.  Take a walk.  Do some jumping jacks.
7. Playing Outside – It is a different world these days.  Growing up, I played outside from sunup to sundown.  I knew I was safe in my neighborhood.  The neighbors watched out for each others’ kids – bandaged boo-boos, provided popsicles and Kool-aid, snacks on the front porch.  Now days, there are too many bad people in the world.  My kids are never outside by themselves and they will never be permitted free reign of the neighborhood.  It’s a bad, bad world out there.
8. Social Media – Okay, I have friends on my Facebook that I didn’t even talk to in high school.  I have people sending me friend requests that ridiculed me in middle school.  Facebook.  Pinterest.  Twitter.  What happened to picking up the phone and calling a friend?  Oh, wait, that’s right… we all have cell phones now and are too busy using them for GPS navigation and mobile banking.
9. Digital Music – My kids will never know how to use a pencil to roll up a loose cassette tape.  They will never know the richness of a record.  They will never know how to put the needle down on a record without scratching it.  Heck, the probably won’t even have CDs when they are older.
10. Fuel Efficient Cars – Now, hear me out on this one.  There is nothing like a muscle car with a souped-up engine headed down the drag strip or rumbling at a street light.  The Detroit steel, the rumbling exhaust, the whole she-bang.  Kids today will never have the opportunity to restore these beautiful classic cars to their original splendor.  Think about it.  In 20 years, classic cars are going to be fuel-efficient cars.  No muscle cars.  And, that my readers…. will be a sad, sad day.

That’s my list of 10 Trappings of Modern Life.  Don’t get me wrong – take most of these as “tongue in cheek.”  I use my cell phone, GPS, e-Reader, social media, and digital music daily.  But, the fuel efficient cars as muscle cars in the future…. I draw the line there.

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