Electronic Nostalgia

I HAD MORE FUN watching TV fifty years ago than now. That's probably because I was a kid then, and television, truth be told, is, for the most part, more suited intellectually for children, once you eliminate the sex and violence. Of course, if you eliminate those two key ingredients, what have you left? Little. Oh, how I miss those halcyon days of small, black and white grainy three network television. I never minded walking across the room to change channels, and the smallness and fuzziness of the images was, somehow...evocative...mysterious...alluring. No doubt television is better today. Big beautiful high resolution flat screens, an endless variety of programming, remote control. So, what's my problem? Well, for one thing, Gunsmoke, Bonanza, and William Shatner Star Trek are no longer prime time. Plus, the people reading the news are no longer Walter Cronkite, but rather, hot blonde babes in short skirts and low necklines. No complaints, but, well, I watch the news for the news, or rather, I used to, when I was a kid. I have the same problem with smart phones. Smart phones are absolutely wonderful, to be sure, but fifty years ago telephone calls were important, a source of excitement, and when that big black box in the corner rang, you had only one shot to find out what it was about, and if you didn't get to it on time you felt deflated, as of having missed something extremely important, and people would bolt from their chairs and race through the house to answer it in time. It was fun. Now, we screen calls, ho hum. Maybe that's my problem; the more I have the more I take it for granted, the less special it seems, on television, and on the phone. Fifty years ago, I watched enviously as Kirk and Spock flipped up their communicator lids, and spoke in real time with portable, pocket sized devices. Oh, how I wanted one of those, and the man who invented cell phones claimed he derived his inspiration from Kirk-Spock chat! Well, now I have one, and my attitude towards it is distinctly negative. Too expensive, too much unnecessary info, too many of my calls screened, and don't get me started on texting. After I ran into three or four trees and fell into a couple of artificial lakes, I decided that texting while walking was not for me, and is best left to millennials who still possess enough brain cells to simultaneously walk, chew gum, and text.. Maybe I'll have better luck texting while driving. I'll try to remember to issue a warning to the public before leaving home, and I promise to look at the road now and then...................................PLEASE SHARE THIS CREATIVE WRITING WEBSITE WITH YOUR FRIENDS!