CHANGES
Are we counting the (years)(months) and ignoring the (hours) (minutes) into
today’s rush into tomorrow?
Circumstances do not seem to stay around long enough for them to become
valid memories and future bits of nostalgia. Are we, perhaps, moving ahead so fast
that we don’t have time to truly absorb and appreciate the present moments and to
reflect on how well-off we truly are in this nation right now?
I am old enough to think of fifty-sixty years from now as compared to half-century
ago or more. I have witnessed changes, many of which evolved slowly over the years
and even decades of time, but current progress is quicker and less deeply concerned
with the way we live. Ever step we take to live better seems to be predicated on what
it is going to mean in the future rather than today’s possible use.
And rightly so, I would agree.
The faster tempo of today is in tune with the nature of our findings. Much of it is
an improvement or addition to things we now have and processes we now use, and
they change rapidly. The computer you bought just few years ago is obsolete today.
The car you thought of as once-in-a-lifetime purchase, perhaps, certainly a long-term
possession, is now long gone in favor for a newer models. The house you want to buy is a
two-car garage with living quarters attached, behind and above, on a narrow lot.
From almost any corner in any new development, look down the street for as far as you
can see. There are endless lines of garage doors opening and closing and either
swallowing up or spilling out vehicles of every description to keep the community on the
community on the move. The front door of the home is around one side of the garage
and it is an architectural formality. It is rarely used. All family members arrive and depart
by car and seek out passageways cut to assure quick access to the central garage
area. Front doors are, primarily for use by wandering house-to-house salespersons and
the like. Face it. Housing has changed radically in recent years and more such
modifications -some of them will, no doubt, infringe on what we think of as being the
“right” way to do things.
So much depends, to a large extent, on our willingness to accept change. The
point to be concerned about, when a change is eminent, is to realize how you fit into
the planned modification. By taking up a stubborn stance of opposition to a change
will only delay it, not forestall it, in most cases. Look for, and seriously seek out
advantages which can come your way with projected changes.
A.L.M. July 14, 2002 [c482wds]
