Over the past few months, I've been attempting to keep track of questions that my kids will ask, or major differences between our generations. Below are a few of the things that will be poorly missed (in my opinion) by my children and their age-group.
--
I feel like most prominent of the questions will be technology related. Technology is advancing at an almost terrifyingly quick pace. It seems like the minute that something comes out that is "truly ground-breaking" everyone else quickly finds out how to break that ground and it's off to the next patch of dirt. One of the iconic questions of my generation is "Mom, what's an album?"
First time my mom heard that I feel that she just about died. Oddly enough however, I don't feel that my kids will wonder what vinyls are. Of late it seems that they're making an indie-led comeback with artists as big as Kanye West producing records on both CD and vinyl these days. There is one "retro" technological device however that is surely six feet under. Therefore, as a parent, I will be hearing; "Dad, what's a VHS?"
VHS (I don't even know what the letters actually stand for) was the bread and butter of the Disney/Pixar films that my generation grew up on. Favorites such as The Lion King, Toy Story, E.T., and Fox & the Hound where found in video boxes across the country.
Frankly kids these days have it easy! They don't have to cherish each viewing (after 50 or so) for fear of the tape going bad! These weenie kids are only stopped by slobber, PB&J, and careless scratches it seems.
Poor, poor VHS.. It seems that it's all about DVD and this new-fangled Blu-ray these days. Kids don't know how good they've got it! HD... ha! We were lucky if all the tubes in the TV were still working! *Previous statement might be a slight over-reaction.
I'll skip over the whole "playing outdoors" thing because starting in would result in a blog and a half in itself.
When I was a wee-lil-tyke I was unable to reach the table of my grandparents house (which was rather peculiar because I had no such issues at my house) and my grandma's dog-eared phonebook would come to my dining rescue boosting me up to the table.
Now, not only can I reach the table on my own, I can look any number and/or address up on the phone itself! I work in a coffeeshop and some of the older folks who come in ask for the phonebook to look up an address or phone number. Hoping to save them some time, I usually ask where they're looking for and whip out my phone handling them the address/number in half the time it would take for them to look it up on paper.
I fear it's only a matter of years before phonebooks start disappearing from our porch steps and mailboxes. With the mass use of the internet for advertising and every day function they are more or less unneeded in today's computer/smart phone driven world.
So when my kids can't reach the table and I say "we just need to get you a phone book to pop a squat on" they'll simply look at me with the dumb, confused look only children can make adorable.
The following is two-fold unfortunately and as a wanna-be writer it really hurts me to say this but.. I have to be realistic. This may not happen when my children are younger, but I do believe that at some point in their lives, they will see the death of newspapers shortly followed by snail mail.
When my girlfriend and I were halfway across the country from each other at college we made it an effort to take notice of the little things by actually taking the time to hand-write letters each week or two. Let me tell you what.. It was fantastic and romantic - no argument there. But it was a bit of an effort simply because it wasn't something that we, or anyone these days were used to doing. It will be a sad day when the last postal carrier delivers his route.
It will be a sadder day when I tell my kids they should write a letter to their grandmother and they will have no clue what I'm talking about.
--
All depressing stuff aside, there is an ever-growing list of things my children will miss out on. Just as we missed out on things of our parents and grandparents daily lives. I don't mean to sound overly nostalgic nor will I be tore up when my kids don't understand what I'm talking about. Rather the opposite. I'll find it funny (in that awkward kind of way) that I'm getting old and continue to hope, as I do now, that my children will miss out on a lot of the more troubling things such as AIDS, or Cancer, even the war in Darfur or terrorism in general.
As time passes, so do trends and styles and objects (very wise and deep I know). But the things that pass are usually trivial in the long run and we can only hope that in addition to those trivial items many of the things that trouble our world will pass with them.
If you've ever thought about this let me know so I don't keep thinking I'm a little crazy. Don't be afraid to comment on some of your own "Dad whats.. " moments or things that you think you might hear. I love to hear what everyone's thoughts on the future are. No matter how it turns out, I figure we're in for a bit of a surprise.
Blessings,
Connor
No comments:
Post a Comment