This day being thankful is about modern conveniences. My hubby is on one of his business trips required by his job. If this were back in the 50s or even 70s when I was born, I could hope for a letter (eventually) or maybe (if I were really blessed AND we had the funds) a phone call once in a blue moon. Thanks to the internet and the cheapness of computers, we can IM on a daily basis and he can call through his work once a week. Those little bits of joy are totally worth it.
 |
| http://coolrain44.wordpress.com/2010/04/21/what-modern-conveniences-could-you-not-live-without/ |
Think I'm reaching for straws? Imagine pre-modern days. Your significant other is away for....2 months. I'll be nice and put this in the 50s. Phones were modern, but not as widely popular. If you didn't live in town or close to it, the closest phone might be a pay phone or the local drug store. Even if your family did have one, it was short corded and this was (GASP) before answering machines and cellular phones. That meant, you had to be home in order to talk to the person that was trying to reach you. And calls weren't $0.05 a minute. Noooooo. More like a long distance call was dollars for a short amount of time. Computers? Massive and housed in large buildings that were kept very chilly because the processors might overheat if not (nope, didn't make that up....learned that little tid bit in one of my college courses). The telegraph was widely popular and relatively cheap. Well, that is as long as the person trying to get ahold of you was close to one. Mostly though, it was the postal service. It was as fast as it is today either. Think it's slow now? Ask an "elderly" person who was at least a teen back then. Microwaves? Big and expensive and not in every home. Air conditioner? Ha!
Many times it's easy to take all of what we have for granted. That annoying cell that rings at the worst times is actually a blessing. You can "Ignore" the call you don't want; put the phone on "Vibrate" if you don't want to be disturbed; can be reached by that All-Important-Person whether you're at home, at the store, or out walking Spot. Dinner can take 10 minutes from frozen to table. Missing that bestie? Skype.
