For the past few days pictures of older objects have been appearing on Facebook. The caption reading” like ” if you know who or what the picture depicts. So far my score would be 100%. Guess that is telling something about my age. What bothers me more about that is I find myself asking the question, ” who wouldn’t know what that was or who that person is ? ” The questions are too easy. Or I’m just that dang old ! Whatever the case I do enjoy them. Some I haven’t seen in years.
The other day I was telling my sister in law how to dial a cell phone. Then it struck me. Just how long had it been since I actually dialed a phone ? Been a good while. Touch tone phones were introduced in 1966. So why do we say, dial the phone ? I wonder if that is what the kids say today ? I’ve been listening for that but haven’t reached a conclusion. I’ve asked a few younger people and one had used a dial phone,once. I can only surmise it is the same reason we say Kleenex when we mean tissue. What else would we say ? Enter the necessary digits ? Input numerical values corresponding to the party requested ? Import from contacts ?
I don’t know. I’m certain I’ll always say, dial the number.
We all enjoy nostalgia. I think that is because we feel like we have knowledge that others may not. The upper hand so to speak. That and the familiarity. Makes me feel comfortable anyway. The things of the past.
As we age it is also easier to remember the things of the past than to learn the things of the future. All this new fangled stuff. The old things worked just fine. Why things in my day were built to last. How many times have you heard that ? How many of those things are still here and in use ? LOL
It is a little sad and disheartening to see some of these objects and personalities. Most of the objects could only be found in museums and antique stores now. The personalities have mostly left this earth. Time and places in the distant past. Memories dredged up. Not all was rosy back in the day. We may laugh about some of the things and with others we are amazed. Our social conscience has changed over the years. What was acceptable and humorous then, may be offensive today.
One day phones as we know them will also be a thing of the past. And probably not that far into the future either. When was the last time you saw a phone booth ? They are still around but not many. Do you have a phone on your kitchen wall ? A tabletop phone perhaps ? Call me. I’ll answer or at least my machine will or is it a digital recorder ? Voice mail ? We used to call that talking.