Friday 25 April 2008

Friday Five

Singing Owl on Rev Gal Pal Blogs asked this week's Friday Five:

Yesterday I had two separate conversations in which people were musing about how much change is occurring. The WW II generation, of which my mom is a part, went from horse and buggy to automobiles, saw the lessening, or even the end of many diseases, went from widespread use of kerosene lamps and outhouses (in the country, and most folks were rural)) to a totally electrified and plumbed society. The fastest means of communication was a telegraph. The second conversation--gulp--was about MY generation and how much change occurred in the last half of the 20th century. The person said his 13 year old had not seen a vinyl record album until a few days before, couldn't remember a time without cell phones, and on and on.

1. What modern convenience/invention could you absolutely, positively not live
without? Electricity ! Which runs so much of what I take for granted ... I'd love to be able to produce my own however with solar and/or wind generation!

2. What modern convenience/invention do you wish had never seen the light of day?
Why? Nothing really .. it's what we humans do with the devices that are the problem, isn't it? Anything that can be used for evil, or make us "crazy" (which I think is the subtext here) had at one time a good and proper use. However, from time to time on public transport here in the UK, I'd wish there was a "MUTE" button on people using their mobile (cell phone) around me!

3. Do you own a music-playing device older than a CD player? More than one? If
so, do you use it (them)? hmmm older than a CD player ... no; and only one due to a student budget, otherwise it would be more probably. OOPS - just realized we do have a tiny electric radio in the kitchen but that's because we're in England.

4. Do you find the rapid change in our world exciting, scary, a mix...or something
else? Probably a mix, as above, it's what we do with things that scares me but the amazing creativity of making things smaller and smaller (ie technologies) - that is exciting. Thinking of what it means to be a scientist these days is a challenge that our theology hasn't caught up with in many cases.

5. What did our forebears have that we have lost and you'd like to regain? Bonus
points if you have a suggestion of how to begin that process. Living without a car puts you in touch with some of this; not to romanticize our forebears but there is something about being closer to the people around you - not being insulated - that is humanizing. Although it takes a lot to do when the people around you are not like yourself (ie the immigration and changing ethnic/religious demographic). How to bring it back ?? Probably through lots and lots of relationship building : talking casually with people is impossible in cars, but on foot or public transport it happens more naturally. Making the environments where casual talking, milling around, "doing" something without purpose - all that can start to be a way to regain what I'd describe as "knowing one's neighbor" which needs to happen before you can begin to "love your neighbor."

3 comments:

Unknown said...

Love your number 5, glad you played!

Stefani Schatz said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Dorcas (aka SingingOwl) said...

"Thinking of what it means to be a scientist these days is a challenge that our theology hasn't caught up with in many cases."

So very true. I like your #5 too, and I'm glad you decided to play even if you did chime in on Saturday.