The
first inkling that things were changing came right under my nose came
as I was driving home with our Chevy Impala rental car. As usual my
fingers went probing for the CD slot to play my favorite music. None
could be found. When I inquired at the rental car company they stared
at me through the phone. My kids were less kind and laughed at me. So
I went to my secret advisor and Google stated quite simply that
General Motors no longer equipped their new cars with such antiquated
means of carrying a tune.
“Well,
pardon me for missing that seismic change in my life” I thought out
loud. When did someone decide that the old reliable CD or, DVD for
that matter, was no longer cutting edge technology? I guess the
answer is ‘everyone else.’ I just didn’t notice those changes
coming fast and furious all around me.
Now
instead of delivering packages of entertainment and distraction
through the mail or in retail stores, it’s all gone ‘streaming.’
There are streaming movies, streaming cable series and streaming
music services. Anything under the sun is for sale on our computer
screen. Oops, I misspoke. I meant to say on our tiny iPhone screen.
So much for checking the mail every day or visiting my local music
shop. Now I can sit on my butt, munch on bon-bons, and get everything
and anything I desire (not need, mind you) at the touch of my
fingertips.
But
try as it might, technology hasn’t won me over quite yet. Case in
point, I have an old but reliable Sony turntable and CD / tape player
downstairs. Truth be told. I don’t use it very often. But the sound
is still good and the emotions emoted still comforting. The same can
be said for my stack of LPs (that’s long playing) records.
I
never got into 8 track tapes or reel to reel audio recorders. But
there is a shelf of audio tapes still down stars. Until the untimely
demise of my Ford Escape I had a good place to play them. But atlas I
still have an old cassette player to take up the slack when the mood
strikes me.
I
never got into video discs and my collection of VHS and DVD movies
hasn’t moved much. But they’re still a source of enjoyment some
evenings. Despite what Hollywood would like you to believe they
actually made good movies before the present hysteria over the latest
summer blockbuster. I was never tempted to switch to Blue ray or
Digital DVDs. Now even those devices are old fashioned and quickly
being replaced by ‘The Cloud’ and other streaming services.
Progress
marches on. My flip phone will soon be obsolete. If Microsoft finds
out that I’ve still got Windows 4 to back up my Windows 7 they’d
probably come and shut me down. Oh, my, how do I survive?
Perhaps
it’s a good thing I wasn’t born around the turn of the century. I
have nothing against the horseless carriage but horses are a noble
animal. And I wouldn’t have to change their oil. It’s all part of
a paradigm shift taking place 24/7 in our lives. From entertainment
to medicine to transportation to everyday living, the only constant
seems to be constant change.
For
the last hundred years we’ve been sucked into this reflective prism
called ‘new.’ New is good. Old is bad. It’s as simple as that.
Even back in 1946 a portable typewriter was the end all be all…until
a couple of years later they sparked the keys with electricity.
Don’t
get me wrong. I love using Google Drive. I love sharing my thoughts
and ideas through my blogs (400 and counting). I love showing my
brand on Facebook; 3 separate sites, and Twitter (although I don’t
use it) and LinkedIn to expand my reach.
Self-publishing
has been a God-send in terms of publishing and sharing my novels.
That in turn has given me increased credibility as a playwright and
screenwriter.
But
time marches on, leaving only fading memories in its wake. I think
it’s OK to hold on those old musical tools of the trade while the
rest of technology morphs away along with our past lives. I accept
that one has to keep up with the crowd or at least graciously accept
those constant changes. I’ll do so when it fits my work routine or
presents new avenues of distraction. So goes the circle of life.
In
the meantime, I still get to keep my audio tapes, LPs, VHS and DVD
tapes. When the mood strikes I can always retreat downstairs and get
lost in my music and movies. On the road, my 2015 Toyota Camry has a
CD player so I intend to keep it going forever or until…
It’s
comforting to know that the music never has to end.
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