A Thought of Yester-Year

Have you taken any time to really think about how much life, culture, technology, society...has changed in your life time?

The world is constantly changing and with technology in the modern era, what you buy today is outdated tomorrow. It's crazy the countless ways computers are used in our every day; I won't begin to list or think about them all - the thought is too overwhelming.

With just a minute or two of thought to life 20 years ago, I recall and share with you three changes I haven't even realized were different until now; I mean, the times have changed and evolved at a time in my life that I rolled with them without much care that they were different and now I take a step back to recall what life was like such a short time ago...

1. Gas station attendants - there was a time when (and I know that long before my time things were even more different - but I give you my perspective on life and changes I've seen) you would pull up to a gas station and an attendant, most always it would be a male, would come to your window, ask how much gas you wanted, pump it for you, take CASH for your fill and you would drive off!

2. Grocery baggers - there was a time when bagging your own groceries was not an option. As you placed your items on the counter, a cashier (most always a lady) would ring up the items and a bagger (most always a male) would place the items in a bag and then into a cart and haul them to your car. Not only did the bagger bring them to your car, you would get in your car and wait on 'him' to put them in the car/trunk for you and then you would drive off!

3. Cracker Barrel was a novelty - a favorite pre-teen memory of mine, a two hour road trip with my girlfriend (that's something of the past too that I'm just thinking about ... the use of the term 'girlfriend' meaning a good friend of the same sex and not a sexual partner! *grin*) and her dad to fill our belly with delicious country food and a stroll through the gift shop of Cracker Barrel. Yes, it is true. Cracker Barrel was a destination at one time and not a restaurant you found on every corner. Now with it in my neighborhood, I could careless to eat there.

And I thought I wouldn't have any great 'when I was young' stories to tell my children. I'm quickly feeling like my stories will be in the same category as the "when I was your age, I walked two miles to school and back..." stories I heard from my grandparents.

Oh and not to mention, along that same idea...I already feel the pain of not knowing how to work modern technology; an area I never thought I'd fall in to. I recall getting a Walkman (do you remember them? A portable cassette player/radio headphone system) for Christmas and knowing IMMEDIATELY how to operate EVERYTHING on it and thinking it was TOTALLY crazy that my parents were struggling to figure out how to power it on. *grin* Well...as you know, that system has changed multiple times in the past 20 years and now it's, I don't even know for sure, but I think, it's now equivalent to an Ipod or something. I'm so out of date with the technology that I don't even know the name of the equipment! See, I'm already out of date at just 31! I can see Hayden and Adelyn rolling their eyes at me now!

OK - just a minute down yester-year. Something to get your mind thinking. Do share your memories too!

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Thanksgiving for life as it was, praise for change and prayer for a return of community care for one another.