One thing I constantly see today (in my own life as well as in the lives of others) is our never-ceasing desire to "have" things. If you just bought the latest phone, another one is already on its way out that's "even better" that you "just have to have". Think about it. How much did you pay for your most recent phone? And why did you pay that much? What kinds of features does it have that you just can't seem to live without?
I was watching an old movie yesterday and one of the things that really struck me was the telephone. It was a movie set in the late 1800's or early 1900's... so one of those "Gwen" movies that has lots of pretty dresses, cheesy lines, and that wonderful warm-fuzzy, feel-good type of show. The movie is about the happenings in a big family over the course of a year (ups and downs and all... but since it's a feel-good musical, it's mostly ups). In one particular scene, most of the family (except for the uninformed father) tries to rush through their supper because the eldest daughter is supposed to receive a long-distance telephone call (from a young man) at a certain time. The telephone is in the dining room and the family hopes he will propose, so they want to give her some privacy. It all makes for a fun and enjoyable sequence, but it really got me to thinking.
I remember when we only had a telephone in the dining room/kitchen area. I remember when we got to add one to our bedrooms as teenagers (and that was a treat, let me tell you!), probably mostly because our parents got tired of hearing us talk about nothing for hours on end. I remember the first time I saw a "car phone", my cousin had one and I thought it was the coolest thing I'd ever seen. I remember watching "Saved By the Bell" and seeing Zach Morris get into trouble for talking on a cell phone (that didn't quite fit in a back pocket as easily as it does now).
Now, cell phones are everywhere. I carry mine with me at all times (unless I happen to forget it). Even when I visited a third-world country in Southeast Asia a few years ago, it didn't matter how poor those people were, most of them still had a cell phone! People like to stay connected with each other... and there's nothing wrong with that! But what do we really know to appreciate anymore? Everything is run by technology of some kind.
Here in the U.S. we thrive... we have grocery stores, restaurants, cars, electricity, airports, Apps on our phones to find whatever we can't... but what would we do if it was all taken away. Nature alone has proven over and over in the last several years, that it can take away our luxuries in only a moment. But with so much happening around our globe, I know that nature is not our only threat.
One place I've visited in my travels was a country (now third-world) that was "up-to-date", so to speak, with the rest of the world (technologically, economically, etc.) until the late 1970's. When they were invaded and taken over by another country, it set them back 50 years. That finally got handled, but then the already crippled country got taken over again, setting them back another 50 years. Now, there is a massive lack of education (most of the people don't even know there is such a thing as an ocean), streets are literally covered in human waste, and only the wealthy have direct access to such things as water, electricity (brought up by generators), and, if they're lucky, air-conditioning.
I know the U.S. is much bigger and in a better location that this other country, but are we really so prideful as to believe that NOTHING can happen to us? Technology has been a friend to us thus far, yes, but we've seen enough movies (yes, I said it, movies) to know that it REALLY CAN be taken away, whether by nature or by other people. Then what? Just think about it... IF electricity alone were completely knocked out for weeks or months on end, what would we do? Pretty much everything is digital now-a-days so:
Could we buy gas? Could we buy groceries? Could we get to any money at the bank? How would we feed our families? If it's winter, how would we keep warm? Would you still have a way to contact loved ones (since your cell phone won't work anymore)? What if our possibility for electricity restoration was a year or two away? Could we grow and make our own food like people used to, without the help of the internet to tell us how?
I know this may sound like I'm on a rant against technology, but TRUST ME, I'm not. I'll appreciate and take advantage of it as much as I can!!! It's just something I've been thinking about. Going back to the movie I mentioned earlier: One thing I love about that particular type of movie is that it has one of those "It doesn't matter what happens as long as we're together," lessons to it. That's the thing so many people seem to miss today. We can work. We can pretty much do as we please with our free-time, the responsibilities of keeping up a home excluded. But what do we do with our time? Do we spend it with our friends and families, getting to know and love them even more? Do we invite neighbors or strangers into our homes to love on them? (This introvert doesn't!) Or do we look for other "things" to fill our time? I do... I think I'm the best at it.
The sad part is, will this poor world have to be subjected to having little to nothing left for people to realize what really matters? What things are actual "needs" versus what are merely "wants"? I hope not... but unfortunately, having things taken away seems like the best way to get our attention.
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