Curmudgeon's Corner

Stop the world; let me off...

Posted by Al Campbell on July 22, 2010

Quality of Life, U.S.

That seems the mantra of many Americans these days.  When asked, by the Rasmussen polling organization, “Do you favor a one-year moratorium on all new regulations?” a plurality favored doing just that.  38% favored a moratorium while 34% opposed it.  28% couldn’t decide; maybe they’re so over-loaded that they’re unable to think any longer.

I’ve used the analogy of taking a sip of water from a fire hose before.  The flow of information has increased to the extent that it threatens us.  For those of us who are news junkies, there is even too much for many of us to absorb.

I avoided news almost entirely (compared to my normal intake) during the vacation we recently enjoyed in Colorado.  I actually felt more relaxed as the result; and, I didn’t suffer withdrawal, either.  I know more and more people who simply have tuned out to the point that they are unaware of bills moving through Congress even as those sometimes threaten their industry and ultimately their livelihood.

Information overload takes a toll on people, even on those who deny they are susceptible to that kind of overload.  The 24 hour news cycle has produced changes in the quality of news and changes in the quantity of news.  The Internet has forced the print media to change simply in order to survive.  Book stores are fearful that printed books may be on their way out of existence as e-books make their way into the mainstream.

I have lived long enough, so far, to have seen the invention of television, and the land line telephone system (using party lines and human operators) giving way to cellular telephones broadcasting over the airways; and the diminishing fortunes of newspapers and, especially, of magazines.  I have seen the first computer that required enormous cooling and very large rooms, and now watch as millions of people use hand-held telephones that wield magnitudes greater memory and storage capacity than did that first machine.

I recall reading a treatise a couple of years ago that estimated that mankind’s combined knowledge was doubling every five years.  My grandsons are now more computer literate than I am in many ways.  They intuitively find their way around new software and new hardware in no time at all.  I have ‘suddenly’ become several generations behind on digital recording devices.

A modern day Rip Van Winkle would need only to doze off for a year or so in order to experience the mind-bending experience of the earlier version of that mythical man.

I’ve recently spoken with physicians and pharmacists who are considering retirement but recognize that this will be a final decision since they’d so rapidly lose their edge in their fields of involvement as to be unemployable in a couple of years.

My aging process has given me wisdom to now appreciate those who have gone before me.  I had some difficulty recognizing why those predecessors were so ‘out of touch’ with technology; that is no longer a question I have.  I have developed a new-found respect for what they were experiencing.

I am thankful that I have grandsons who can help Bompa and Gamma out when something new hits our lives; even if they have that silly little smile on their face that says volumes about what they’re thinking.

I have been there and bought the T-shirt.  Things really do come full circle for us if we live long enough.