I was speaking with a friend and colleague a while ago about things that are disappearing right before our eyes. We were lamenting the fact that much of our world is becoming obsolete and how hard it is to keep pace with new developments.
Some things like typewriters, encyclopedia salesmen and eight-track tapes have already gone. There are many others such as the post office, cable TV and land line telephones that are soon to follow.
I can remember when people of my parent’s generation used to complain that times weren’t like they used to be. That’s nothing new. It just seems that these days the pace of change is getting much quicker.
We used to measure change in decades and generations. Now, nanoseconds are the new decades and young people today accept and anticipate rapid change and innovation. Sometimes this makes baby boomers like me a little uncomfortable.
I still have a few tools and knick-knacks that date back to my grandparents. I keep some of them around just for nostalgia but there are some devices and implements I still use 100 years later.
They have been repaired and restored many times but the original material is still good and the workmanship has stood the test of time. I take a certain pride in using them but sometimes I wonder what will disappear first, me or the old-fashioned tools I use.
My friend and I held back the tears as we went through a list of things that will disappear soon. First on the list was the post office. Sending out invoices and mailing in payments account for a huge portion of daily deliveries. E-commerce will soon put a stop to that.
Not only that, who takes the time to write a letter by hand any more? There are probably millions of Canadians who have never experienced the warm satisfaction of getting a heartfelt, hand-written letter in the mail and sitting down to read real handwriting on actual paper.
I love that feeling. You can even put the letter in your pocket and unfold it again any time you want. If you get love letters you can tie them together with ribbon and keep them in an old shoe box. How romantic.
Books and newspapers are also predicted to disappear within our lifetime. I still use both of these inventions for the same reasons I enjoy receiving letters. It’s a tactile thing.
I like holding stuff in my hands when I read. I use bookmarks, actual bookmarks to remember where I left off. I like rustling the newspaper as I fold it over to the funny pages.
Land line telephones will soon become a thing of the past as cell phones take over and wireless transmissions clog the air. Have you noticed it’s getting harder and harder to find a telephone booth these days? Will the phone book and the yellow pages also disappear just like the busy signal and the dodo bird?
Cable TV and television itself will not survive in its present form. Consumers are opting instead for downloads, games and exotic adventures available free online.
Incidentally, one other thing that will be disappearing quickly is all that free stuff on the web.
Writers and publishers are vigorously consulting with experts at Apple and Amazon to figure out how to make you pay more for your clicks, Googles and apps. The possibilities are endless and could be expensive for new age customers.
The endangered list goes on and on. Forget about cameras with film that requires processing. Gone. VCRs and movie rental stores are going fast. Incandescent bulbs will eventually disappear but not without a fight.
Road maps, drive-in theatres and the family farm will all soon be curiosities preserved and used only by a few diehards until they disappear for good.
By the end of our conversation my friend and I were feeling like curators in our own personal museums. We’re not opposed to progress. It’s just that we’ve been doing things our own way since the good old days and our quaint habits work for us and fit us like a comfortable, old pair of shoes.
I used to see him driving his vintage retro automobile around town, grooving to his classic eight-track tapes. Just between you and me I think he should modernize a bit.
It’s time for him to upgrade to a cassette deck with Dolby noise reduction. Those units will never disappear.
Some things like typewriters, encyclopedia salesmen and eight-track tapes have already gone. There are many others such as the post office, cable TV and land line telephones that are soon to follow.
I can remember when people of my parent’s generation used to complain that times weren’t like they used to be. That’s nothing new. It just seems that these days the pace of change is getting much quicker.
We used to measure change in decades and generations. Now, nanoseconds are the new decades and young people today accept and anticipate rapid change and innovation. Sometimes this makes baby boomers like me a little uncomfortable.
I still have a few tools and knick-knacks that date back to my grandparents. I keep some of them around just for nostalgia but there are some devices and implements I still use 100 years later.
They have been repaired and restored many times but the original material is still good and the workmanship has stood the test of time. I take a certain pride in using them but sometimes I wonder what will disappear first, me or the old-fashioned tools I use.
My friend and I held back the tears as we went through a list of things that will disappear soon. First on the list was the post office. Sending out invoices and mailing in payments account for a huge portion of daily deliveries. E-commerce will soon put a stop to that.
Not only that, who takes the time to write a letter by hand any more? There are probably millions of Canadians who have never experienced the warm satisfaction of getting a heartfelt, hand-written letter in the mail and sitting down to read real handwriting on actual paper.
I love that feeling. You can even put the letter in your pocket and unfold it again any time you want. If you get love letters you can tie them together with ribbon and keep them in an old shoe box. How romantic.
Books and newspapers are also predicted to disappear within our lifetime. I still use both of these inventions for the same reasons I enjoy receiving letters. It’s a tactile thing.
I like holding stuff in my hands when I read. I use bookmarks, actual bookmarks to remember where I left off. I like rustling the newspaper as I fold it over to the funny pages.
Land line telephones will soon become a thing of the past as cell phones take over and wireless transmissions clog the air. Have you noticed it’s getting harder and harder to find a telephone booth these days? Will the phone book and the yellow pages also disappear just like the busy signal and the dodo bird?
Cable TV and television itself will not survive in its present form. Consumers are opting instead for downloads, games and exotic adventures available free online.
Incidentally, one other thing that will be disappearing quickly is all that free stuff on the web.
Writers and publishers are vigorously consulting with experts at Apple and Amazon to figure out how to make you pay more for your clicks, Googles and apps. The possibilities are endless and could be expensive for new age customers.
The endangered list goes on and on. Forget about cameras with film that requires processing. Gone. VCRs and movie rental stores are going fast. Incandescent bulbs will eventually disappear but not without a fight.
Road maps, drive-in theatres and the family farm will all soon be curiosities preserved and used only by a few diehards until they disappear for good.
By the end of our conversation my friend and I were feeling like curators in our own personal museums. We’re not opposed to progress. It’s just that we’ve been doing things our own way since the good old days and our quaint habits work for us and fit us like a comfortable, old pair of shoes.
I used to see him driving his vintage retro automobile around town, grooving to his classic eight-track tapes. Just between you and me I think he should modernize a bit.
It’s time for him to upgrade to a cassette deck with Dolby noise reduction. Those units will never disappear.
