I received a letter from a good friend the other day. It was one of those let's look back on those good old times," nostalgic," remembrance of the way things used to be FWD: FWD: FWD... you have received them I am certain. For example it contained cartoons titled:" how things have changed!" The first set of cartoons compared the old days to now and the topics were" listening to music, watching films, chatting with friends, reading the news, and playing music. In the old days we listened to music on the stereo, we watched films on TV as a family, we chatted with friends on the telephone, dad read the newspapers by himself alone in a comfortable chair in the quiet of the living room, if you played an instrument you practiced and practiced until everyone in the family wished you did not play that instrument ever again. Today all of the above can be done on computer. I don't think that's so bad. Digital technology for me has enhanced my life and afforded me the opportunity to be highly selective about what I listen to, or read, or communicate about with my friends. I love the opportunity the Internet presents at no charge for me to be able to read" The Guardian, The New York Times, Pravda, the Hindu Times and any other news resource in the world I wish to read, I call that democracy in action... I no longer have a newspaper delivered to my doorstep, why should I? Not when the news in that paper newspaper is days old, filtered, and often of no interest or relevance.
 |
| What a useful machine the home computer is. |
Another cartoon in this e-mail was a comparison of "before" and "now days." It depicts a boy going out to play football he's holding a football and is dressed in uniform ready for the game." Now days" depicts him sitting in front of the television or computer monitor playing the same game digitally. I don't know if this is a good thing or a bad thing but frankly it's the way things are today. In the town that I live in there is a huge soccer" European football" field complex not far from my home. Year round I see boys and girls of all ages from early school grade to high school out there playing almost every day. So it's not like kids are not out there getting their exercise.
 |
| These Video Game Kids make great UAV operators |
The next cartoon is about a child's room. In the" years before" when a child was told to go to his room, supposedly it was punishment and there would be little for the child to do for the duration of the punishment. In the "now days" depiction of a child sent to his room as punishment we see him smiling in a room full of technology, audio equipment, television, and other things to entertain him as he sits smiling with headphones on. I can understand what the intent was the author of this cartoon wanted to depict. On the other hand if a child is living in a remote location, or is snowed in, or is in a wheelchair, this Internet connected child's room is a virtual library, school system, and collection of devices to enhance a child's education; and I am all for that. Punishment today would be to send the child into another room without this collection of technologies.
 |
| In my Room... the world is my Oyster |
The next "Remember the good old days" cartoon is of a child's birthday party where we see happy children excited about the birthday cake and wrapped presents received. In the present day pane we find a child in a darkened room at a laptop computer excited about how many people remembered his birthday on Facebook. Facebook has brought together people from every religion, ethnic origin, race, country, and economic background to share their lives with each other. I see something good here for if you are not ignorant then you wont be stupid. A consequence of Facebook membership is that instantly around the world people can talk to each other about everything be it sex, politics, energy policy, war, disease and many other subjects each and everyone is us is inquisitive about. If you belong to Facebook you understand.
 |
| Did you ever get that feeling someone was watching? |
The next cartoon is of a religious nature, hence I'm beginning to feel this nostalgic comparison of "Then and Now" may be sinister in nature. I fail to understand the author's intent. The cartoon depicts a child asking dad who made the world? The father answers" God made the world my son..." The second pane titled "Now" has a modern day child asking "who made the world dad?" The father answers curtly, "look it up on Google my son." It used to be in the "before" world... to find an answer to any question one would visit the library or refer to reference materials such as the World Book Encyclopedia, or Encyclopedia Britannica of which if you owned a set you had money and did much better in school then the kids who did not own a set.. Today free access is available on line for anyone on Earth to find answers to any question... The Internet is the "Great Equalizer." Talk about freedom and democracy in action. Just about anything we are curious about is available today online digitally to study. Everyone in the Free World uses Google, everyone in the Free World refers to Wikipedia. And why not for if you look at this cartoon with a smile... it is easy to understand we live in a time of great change. As futurist/sociologist professor Alvin Toffler clearly indicated back in 1971, in his monumental book "Future Shock,"
the only constant in our life is change, if you are not connected to the Internet you are irrelevant.
 |
| Some things were made for us to not easily understand. |
I believe we will continue... that is to say.... those of my age group, to be held in awe by the rapid changes we involuntarily incur every day. I think that's fun, and I'm not afraid, I'm not afraid of young people being smarter than me. I believe we need to love one another, and rather than make fun or evil of our differences that we celebrate them. I will conclude with contemporary thought by American comedian Richard Pryor. Prior said," there ain't no fool growing old!"
 |
| and let us not lose our sense of humor... |
"My Happy Eye."
