I don't understand Twitter. I don't trust Facebook. I don't know what an iPod 4 looks like in reality or what it does. I think it's not a good phone. I don't recognize any of the new movie titles or who plays in them unless it's Richard Gere or Katherine Hepburn or Brad Pitt - yes, I know Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie because I read newspapers! I asked my children a couple of years ago to recommend some current musicians and they did, so I'm still listening to Duffy, Black Eyed Peas, and Amy Winehouse. I think they're very postmodern because before that my favorite singers were Elvis Presley, Sonny and Cher, and the Irish Rovers. I think Clint Eastwood is the guy who starred in "Dirty Harry" not a very clever Hollywood director. I'm an anachronism.
My 17-year-old grandson may live to see the world in 60 years, maybe 200 years, who knows what his life span will be then? The world that babies born today will grow up in and know as familiar is alien to me, as alien as a planet that circles Arcturus. Baby boomers and seniors are being slammed in the press as using up all the Social Security and all the health care. Aren't we good for something? Employers seem to like our work ethic and our education. We tend to be frugal. Faint praise indeed.
If it weren't for my children and grandchildren I would be obsolete. I don't want to sound like those who don't have children and/or grandchildren ARE obsolete. Sorry to sound that way. Of course you're not. But speaking strictly for myself, I don't think I would be very smart in the ways of technology to understand even the little I do if it weren't for the younger people in my life. And that being said, they don't have to be my children. For those of you who don't have children, simply being in touch with the previous generations in a meaningful way and listening to what they have to say would be the same thing. I don't always listen, it's true...
I have no children or grandchildren. Does that mean I'm obsolete? It's true that I'm an anachronism. But I don't mind being out of touch with the modern world. It's comfortable here. It'd be beyond my ken to have to learn what would be needed to bring me up to date. And I'm not convinced it would make my life any happier. Old fogies of the world... aww, let's not even bother uniting. Let's not form Anachonisms Anonymous, either. Let's just mosey along in our own, private fogs until we hit a rocking chair and can sit down.
ReplyDeleteI experienced the world before television, transistor radios, personal computers, nuclear energy, interstate highways, the world wide web, jet planes, VCRs, organ transplants, nintendo, solar power, successful cardiac surgery, men on the moon, cancer survival, cell phones, personal calculators and much more. It's taken all my strength and wits to deal with MY lifetime's technological advances. I have every right to be tired.
You're right, Judi, of course, and please reread the last paragraph of my post as I changed it to reflect what you've correctly pointed out. A blog being what it is I sometimes don't get my thoughts correctly onto the screen in the first place and it takes several tries, particularly if I've posted in the middle of the night!
ReplyDeleteThanks for being a faithful reader and a good friend. Of course, one isn't obsolete if one doesn't have children. I was speaking strictly for myself that in my own mind if it weren't for the younger generations I wouldn't be comfortable at all or functioning well in the post modern world. I chose to illustrate my point with my children and grandchildren, but those who don't have children certainly have just as many options. And one of the reasons I'm not hopelessly incompetent in this post modern world is because I'm still working, and I work on a computer which my son keeps running tickety boo for me.
I still like Tom Jones, though.
Tom who, you say, you young whippersnapper?...