Things To Read

Friday, May 9, 2014

Life As We Know It

There are many things happening around our country and our world that give us pause and things to ponder. It appears that life as we know it is changing fast. Frank and I talk about the differences in the way people are now compared to when we grew up or when we were in college. I really think it has always been this way. Each generation brings something new to this equation called life, some of them good, some of them not so good and some of them bad. There have been differing opinions since the dawn of time, it's not that. When the new generation barely resembles what has been before, it's not just a difference of opinion or of the generations, it becomes a whole new philosophy to the way life should be conducted. People are just different now, and I don't necessarily think for the better in many instances.

Technology has forever changed our lives. It has brought amazing wonders to our fingertips. Like this computer I am typing on and the internet with which we communicate on this blog. Simply amazing. How many of you had pen pals when you were younger? What's the point now, when you can communicate with voice and video around the globe at the touch of a button? Technology has made the world much smaller, yet more distant. Many people no longer communicate with each other much, except in short written text messages or phone calls. I appreciate the ability I have to communicate by phone when I am traveling by myself, but I surely don't need to be on the phone all the time. Many people I work with are surprised I still have a flip open 'dumb phone' instead of a smart phone with internet and email and every game under the sun. Well, you know what? I like my dumb phone. It suits me just fine.

Technology has also taken a front seat when it comes to flash mobs and some social and/or political uprisings around the world. It has been reported that many gangs and criminal enterprises have become very skilled in using technology to their advantage. Now comes along drones, robots and computers that can read your mind and your radio frequency 
identification or RFID chip. What's  next? How far will we go with technology and how much are we willing to let it infringe upon our liberties? Is it worth it? How much will you give up? You can already be tracked by your phone and your new vehicle. Does it matter if they want to implant a chip in your body and in your children? The things we grew up with were normal to us. The things today's children grow up with will be normal to them. If they all get an RFID chip, then before long it will be abnormal to not have one. Just like today, it is abnormal if you don't get vaccinated or have a smart phone or don't watch television.

One day last week at school we had a project to work on. My assignment was to see how tall we could build a structure using one deck of playing cards. We tried several different ways of using the cards, then I started a game of 'Go Fish' with a group of third grade students. Most of them had never heard of it and didn't know how to play. When I asked them if they had ever played any card games, not one of them said yes. They didn't know how to hold the cards or what the 'J', 'Q', 'K' or 'A' meant, to them, they were just letters.

Most young families now have a very different life than when we grew up. They have been taught, or in some people's views indoctrinated, in a whole different set of values than we were. I just don't see how they are going to manage very well if the economy continues to decline, food and fuel prices continue to go up, discord among differing groups of people continues to increase, and their ever increasing demands are not met. There is a very large group of people that really do believe that it is their right to be taken care of. What are they going to do when there is no one left to take care of them? Take care of each other? Somehow I doubt it.

There are many headlines to read everyday that indicate the rising tensions between people, between countries, and between governments and citizens. There are headlines about the economies of the world and how they are all hanging on by a thread that gets weaker and weaker each day. There are headlines about hate and anger and lost freedoms. Here are just a few.

And then there are the headlines like this that still provide some hope for the future of humanity and for our country.

There is a song that has a line something like.....life as we know it ended today. That day is coming for us. Some say it is already here. The landscapes of our lives have been repainted and no longer resemble the views of our Christian, conservative, patriotic, hard working life. I miss it. Are you ready for what is coming next? I don't know what it will be, but it won't be anything like what it once was or what we have become accustomed to even now. I try to visualize what life will be like one year from now, five years from now or even ten years from now. I can't. Things are changing too fast and have become too complicated. We can only prepare for the hardships we see coming. So, see you later. I've got to get back to work.

Until next time - Fern

10 comments:

  1. Great post!!! It's become a scary world.

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  2. Very interesting post. I hear years ago "HUD" chair woman (forced out - politics) had made an interesting point ... Bein that it's part of our governments duty to adjust things for the future, short as well as long term policy changes. "tweak"? Jobs, cost of living, home loans etc ... For life style availabity ... Today were seeing bad turns in everything in our law makers (I believe they're in it for themselves, not the greater population) ... I have seen for myself that it's not as much the larger group looking to be taken care of as in it's more they're needing help to get "back on level footings" I've seen we as a group have been lead into places by the very people who's been elected to help us? ... Then theyve set up for failure. (there is always exceptions to every rule)
    Hence as you've beautifully said ... The future isn't looking good.
    As an example while I was trucking ... A steel plant in Illinois was union 3 shifts ...24/7 ... Went for contract negotiations ... They went down to 2 shifts with no shows being laid off ... Then 1 yr later the plant shut down entirely... Who at fault? Unions? Maybe the company going broke? Maybe greedy workers? Or did our gov help make it more profitable to just import it ? The future for the workers is been long & tough / sorry for the long answer ...

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    1. It does seem like many of the changes we are experiencing have been planned or in the works for a long time, T Harley. Thank you for the examples.

      Fern

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  3. I enjoyed this post very much. The bit about the game of Fish and the children not knowing it was amazing. We spent hours playing it as children ad teenagers, the most special times when our parents had time to play too! There have been generation gaps all through time but this last one is a generation Chasm! We still had more in common with our parents than different but the new generations have had such "luxury: they have lost something that helped build our character. Thank you for writing and helping all of us think more!

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    1. You're welcome, Fiona. I have several decks of cards waiting in the wings for the time when this machine no longer works.

      Fern

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  4. Well, I don't know, maybe I just hang with an odd crowd, but my daughter and her friends (she's 24) seem thoughtful, family-oriented, and level-headed. Most of her cousins and their friends are the same. I have no problem with handing the reins over to them, except I hate how messed up and scary what we're handing them is right now.

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    1. That's really good to hear, Chipmunk. There are lots of good folks out there, I'm just not sure if they're the majority any more. Thank you for the comment. It's always nice to hear good news.

      Fern

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  5. Parenting children now is very difficult. I am trying to raise children who will be able to adapt to what the world will be--ie; one where you need to raise your own, or you go hungry. If the climate doesn't do us all in, the economy will, and it may be both together. Honestly, I thought I had more time. I'm afraid now that I have less than I even thought in my worst case scenario. During this year the slide has been more rapid than I thought.

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    1. Use the time you have, Jocelyn. I am glad you see what is coming our way, there are so many that don't. Blessings to you and your family.

      Fern

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