Life as We Know It is Changing — How is that working for ya?

 My mother used to complain that my dad was not very progressive — he preferred to live in the past — everything from the past was better in his eyes and she didn’t think that way.  My mother embraced most modern innovations.  So, growing up I enjoyed lots of modern things in our home and never really looked back at “the good old days”.  I remember her telling me how exciting it was when Fritos first came on the market.  I don’t ever remember having fresh squeezed orange juice— why bother when you could buy frozen and reconstitute it.  My mom was the modern convenience queen.

I also remember her talking about her father, my grandfather.  He was born in Scranton, Pennsylvania, a first generation American born to Welsh immigrant parents.  He was born in 1896 and the last most exciting thing to happen to him before his death in 1969 was that he got to watch the moon landing.  Upon his death we sat and talked about how much he had seen in his life — his job as a child was to clean the chimneys on the gas lamps in their house — he saw electricity come into the house, and outhouses replaced with indoor plumbing, he rode to school on a horse which was replaced by cars, he worked in the mines but left for the railroad because trains were ‘the thing’.  He lived through a period of great innovation and change like my generation had not seen, until now.

My father, while he chose to live in the past, did embrace the modern technology of television and film making.  He started his career in radio and then after his time with Uncle Sam he came home to the new invention of tv.  My mother was crazy about tv, even though she was a huge fan of the radio, and they got their first, very small, tv right before I was born in 1950.  I think it had come to other parts of the country before then but it was brand new in San Antonio, Texas.  I digress.  He then ventured into the wider world of media and movie making — movie making in San Antonio was not an easy thing — and I venture to say that if he were alive today he would be a great podcaster.

Looking at all these people and the changes in their lives, I have to look at the changes in mine. You don’t really realize how things have changed until it just smacks you in the face.  I have sewn all my life and I look at the machines I have used from a little black, very heavy portable singer

To the computerized quilting machine I use today.

I have embraced all manner of kitchen appliances from hand mixers to fancy stand mixers, crockpots — now programmable, bread machines, rice cookers and the list goes on and on — most of them I have gotten rid of and some I am thinking of replacing because they take less energy than heating up the house. It is a constant circle of homemaking life.

So today what is hitting me is our entertainment world.  When my children were small we enjoyed snatching them up after my husband got home on a Friday, going to the video place and renting some movies and getting a pizza from the pizza place next door.  We didn’t have cable, our VCR was a new thing to us, we still used antennas on the roof, our phones were attached to the wall and our houses were not “smart”.

It has come to our attention that our television viewing is changing.  Our network channels seem to be changing, diminishing so to speak, being reduced to less and less entertainment and more and more repeats, news and things like game shows.  We rarely watch anything on network tv except our day time drama and a couple of things at night but those shows are going away — either cancelled or going to streaming.  I think, within the next five years we won’t have network tv like we have now.

And, I have noticed that my usage of technology has change and become very commonplace for me.  Instead of making lists on paper I make them on my phone, I keep a calendar on my phone and iPad, and today I realized that using an Apple Pencil is just as normal for me as a regular pencil.  Today I just set up my new AirPods so I don’t have to struggle with earbud wires.  All of this is so normal nowadays.

I think my mother would have loved it — not sure about my dad — but for me, I prefer to go further into my old age at least being able to function in todays world — everything is computerized, digital and instant.  I had to write a check the other day and couldn’t remember when I wrote one last.  Do I like modern ways.  Yes, why yes I do.  I was bewailing my soap opera going to streaming until I realized I could watch it at my convenience and it won’t be preempted by whatever is going on outside my little world.  So, yes, I am ok with it.  I don’t have cable anymore, I prefer to do streaming, purchase the plans that work for me and enjoy at my leisure.  The same with reading.  I am so spoiled by my kindle and being able to get reading material instantly either from my library or kindle unlimited — it is just amazing to me.

I look at my life — from my childhood in the 50’s, teenage hood in the 60’s, adulthood from 70’s on and I am amazed at the changes in my existence as well — maybe not as extreme as my grandfather — but big enough changes. Even though I love learning about the past — especially my family history — I am glad I don’t live there.  I was sad when I realized that television as we know it is changing and I was very reluctant for a hot minute but now, as I explore all the options, I am up for the change.  

One change I am sad about about is Queen Elizabeth’s decline.  I am an American but because my great-grandparents were immigrants I was always aware of the “motherland” and I have always identified with the UK as my ancestral home on both sides of my family.  I remember when Queen Elizabeth had her coronation and we were able to watch it on tv — thanks to growing technology —and I loved the carriage she rode it and I love all the pomp and circumstance.   Never one to enjoy traveling, the only place I had ever wanted to visit was England and I was so fortunate to be able to do that in 2005.  I would love to go back but realize that my mobility makes it pretty unlikely that will ever happen but I will say that  part of me felt comfortable and at home.  I hope Her Royal Highness rallies from this latest setback because she isn’t just a national treasure but an international treasure but she is 96 and we have to be realistic here — if not this time it will be one of these times and we must prepare.  

So, as I watch the tv waiting for breaking news that I feel certain is coming, I will be researching bread machines.  I had one that I used for years but the shape of the loaf was weird, I inherited one from my mother in law but didn’t need two and now here I am looking for another.  Ugh. I will let you know.