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Saturday, May 24, 2008

Differences

Our friends Donna and Kenny came over for dinner last night. I have known Donna and Kenny since 1979 - before they were married, before I was married to my first husband, before any of us had any children.

Sitting at dinner last night, I looked around and realized, I didn't FEEL like I would be 50 in just a few short years - none of us did. We have some lines on our faces, have had some surgeries, take medications for various issues - but we all agreed, none of us FELT our age - and that when we were in our 20's - 50 seemed old - one foot in the grave kind of old. Yet, while life has marched on we realized that the same things make us laugh, we love being around each other, and appreciated where we were.

Dear son joined us for dinner - he is 23. At his age - I was already his mom. I can't imagine him being a parent - he still seems like my little boy in so many ways.

One of the vast differences in our generations is that my friends and I got together and DID things. We didn't have cell phones and text messaging, didn't have computers and internet and email - no YouTube - not even MTV. We didn't have times scheduled to get together ONLINE and play a video game - we got together, face to face. We did things like meet at the drive in - hop in the back of a friends pick up truck with lawn chairs and beer and watch movies like Scanners - while oh so nonchalantly making out with your significant other. We went bowling. We got together and played cards and drank - and then WALKED home. The most techie thing we did was have an Atari and played space invaders and pac-man. Pinball machines were fun to us. I remember sitting in gas lines with my best friend - getting donuts at High's Convenience Stores - and having a wonderful time! When you called a friend, your phone had a cord - you couldn't really HIDE and be on the phone - and my goodness...you sometimes got a busy signal - Can you even imagine getting a busy signal today? Memorial Day weekend the pools opened...the plan was simple going to the pool to layout and burn, tan and peel - long before we knew how bad it was for you. Ah...the good ol' days.

I wouldn't trade those memories for anything - but I wonder - what will today's generation remember? WHO will they remember? Texting, emailing and online gaming - require no face to face human interaction - I think it's kind of sad.

That's my "deep" thought for the day.

4 comments:

Jeanne said...

lol....I don't even know what to say.... such a revelation...or a realization. an awakening?

Everlasting Monday said...

Speechless.
This could be the first page to your life story.

tigger said...

Donna! Well written, thought provoking and engrossing.

Lynette said...

This is all so true. But, I think that the pendulum will swing the other way. All the technology will still be here, but humans are social animals. We really do need to be around other people, and I believe that need will win out over our self imposed electronic isolation.