Lately there has been a rash of sitings on Face book profile posts that wax nostalgically for the "better times" when the CD had not been invented, Nintendo not heard of, a 500 television Chanel universe was only a dream, and we all played hide and seek until dark.
While it is indeed wonderful to wax nostalgically abut the "simpler times", my 53 year old deaf self is very grateful for where we are in this year of our Lord 2011.
Growing up, family picnics were fun and my sister and I were always very excited about those summer days when they came. I miss that.
I don't miss the fact that after we left the site at the park, it was the norm to leave all the trash, or throw it out the car window. Those of you who picnicked in the 1960's will confirm this. We dumped on the side of the road and off we roared.
Parents smoked with young children in the car, dumping the ashtrays at a stop light was acceptable.
We drove big cars that took leaded gas with no regard for Mother Earth and her siblings.
We cut trees with abandon and with no regard for the future in order to satisfy the moment. Ah yes the old days!
When we heard of a domestic dispute, we felt for the family, but dismissed it.
Child abuse was rarely reported. If it was, no one talked about it, and we went back to playing Hide and seek until dark.
Simpler times for sure, and much of it is missed.
The bookmobile came on Tuesday nights from 4 until 8 and we lined up outside the tractor trailer to see if there were any copies of Cat in the Hat to be had. The internet, let alone the giant book stores, were but twinkles in someone eyes.
Our parents bought big Vinyl records to listen to 8 songs.
We watched one of the 9 channels that our antenna took in, and of course in black and white.
No one wore seat belts,as we went to the Drive In movie, because we loved our cars! Pollution was not part of our lexicon until the late 60's, when we realized we were poisoning our lungs with factory emissions. and our fish were going the way of the Dinosaur
Ah yes, the good old days.
My cochlear Implant gives me some sense of "Thank God we live in these times". Even more so when I see a small child that was born deaf, wearing the tell-tale magnet of the CI processor that gives sound to whence before, silence lived.
I do miss the look and feel of the big Vinyl LP records. I also miss hearing music the way it used to sound before deafness and a cochlear implant.
I am very grateful for the technology that gives me sound.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
3 comments:
Nostalgia aint what it used to be ! Many deaf hark back to times when socialising meant you talked face to face with other deaf people and formed relationships that were meaningful, and allowed communities to develop, many despite considerable online interaction do feel that is actually being lost.
People are allowing technology to define 'social' instead of treating what is an dumb box of electronics as just an tool..
It's an academic documented issue. In that the more people rely on the net for interaction, the LESS ect interaction with people takes place. We saw an case in the UK where two people were texting each other only yards apart, totally ridiculous.
Youth is losing the ability to socialise meaningfully. Many are being refused work/jobs because they display no ability to interact with people properly. 'service' areas are particularly worried.
Youth actually had next to NO communication skills face to face, it's quite worrying.
When the "good old days"come up for discussion I usually say: Ah the good old days may they never return.
My good old days witnessed 50 million or so folks killed in a horrendous world war . Nothing today fortunately to compare with it.
You are right. There is good and bad in every human era. Sometimes it's fun to wax nostalgic; but always best to be grateful for the good things that progress has brought our way.
Post a Comment