Heraclitus, the 500 B.C. philosopher, observed, “A man never steps in the same river twice, for it’s not the same river and he’s not the same man.”
I’m sure that quote applies to 21st century females, too. It led to the title of my blog, lolita-s-bigtoe.com, aimed at older women. Our society is rapidly progressing. We are constantly dipping a big toe to test the stream of change. When I look back at how my mother did things while I was growing up compared to how I’m doing things now, I marvel at the differences. I almost feel guilty when I dump a load of clothes into my automatic washer and dryer, fold them and put them away. I remember Mom’s Monday wash day. It was a grueling job to clean the clothes in a wringer washer, rinse them and hand them outside on the wire line to dry. Tuesday, a basket of ironing followed.
I know writers who continue to compose their manuscripts in longhand. I enjoy using the computer. It’s so easy to move words or paragraphs around and move them back again if I decide I had it right before. It also checks my spelling. If I have trouble with my machine, I’ll try turning it off and on again. If that doesn’t solve the problem, I call our ‘techie’ son. It’s the same way I’ve always driven a car. When it runs the way it’s supposed to, I’m fine. If it makes a funny noise or a warning light appears on the dash, I quickly find someone who knows how to fix the problem. I don’t embrace all of the latest fads. As far as I’m concerned, Ken’s navy tattoo is enough for this family. I make calls and text with my smart phone, but it’s not my lifeline.
How do you decide to adopt the new trend or stick with your tried-and-true method?
I think all people our age face change ad nauseum. I think there are, at least, four routes you can take when facing change. 1) You can change too (go with the flow); 2) You can avoid change by going to live some place else, for example.) 3) You can actively work against change through writing Letters to the Editor, etc.; 4) You can pretend to go along with the change, but not change in your heart. For example, you see all the couples living together before marriage or having children out of wedlock. You see it, but there is not a thing you can do about it so you put on a brave face, & go on.