Brave New World

In the last couple of decades, the world has changed drastically. One of the major new ways of the world is that devices of all sorts, i.e. machines, have invaded our lives. They have replaced humans in all spheres of daily living.

            Machines certainly make banking easier. They are a marvel when you travel and can access a machine to withdraw money from your bank account and receive it in the currency of the country in which you find yourself. No need to talk to a human teller. The machine is the teller.  

            Machines have also invading neighborhood grocery stores, not only by keeping track of inventories as items are sold but also by encouraging customers to scan their own purchases. Right now, there are only a few check-out points in each store for customers to add up their own purchases, but how long before there are no employees in grocery stores and we have to do everything ourselves? Or maybe grocery store clerks will soon be robots. One advantage, I guess, is that they don’t go on strike and they are not offended when people criticize them.

            Robots are already very much part of our lives, even if we do not necessarily see them. When you renew a prescription by phone, a robot rather than a human notes your request for the pharmacist. And I’m sure we’ve all received phone calls from robots. They’re used by stores to call customers to let them know that ordered items are now ready to be picked up. They have replaced humans in companies of all sorts, such as credit card issuers, as they try to sell you insurance or other products. One advantage for those who receive such calls is that you can simply hang up without hurting anyone’s feeling, something many people were reluctant to do when an actual person made sales calls. Of course, some still do.

            But my question is: how long before we have robots that can engage an actual human in a heated debate? Or have robots with the emotional dimension of humans? Boggle the mind, does it not? One thing is certain machines are taking over our lives little by little and will continue to do so at an even faster rate. 

            I find it all scary. When humans ruled the world, our private information was reasonably secure. Today, machines control information, communicate with each other, and never delete or update data. Case in point, after doing research on the Internet, your computer will be bombarded at nauseam by ads from the visited websites. Annoying to say the least.

            Of course, we still do have some measure of control. When we fill out some forms on the Internet, to prevent robots from accessing e-mail addresses, we have to prove we are not robots by inputting a series of numbers or letters that look fuzzy. While it’s not always easy to read those and we may need good eyeglasses, at least some information will not be broadcast.

            That is, of course, until robots can read through the fuzz. I’m sure someone somewhere is working on such a machine!

           

Grandmas

Looking around at today’s grandmothers, one can’t help but see how the passage of years has altered things. I mean, they don’t make grandmas like they used to. In my days, grandmas stayed at home and seemed to cook all day. By comparison, today’s grandma is out there in the world doing her own thing, from running a large corporation to doing open heart surgery and even running for President.

Yesterday’s grandma seemed to be forever wearing the “house dress” while today’s grandma blends in with the rest of the crowd in her silk suit or her jogging outfit. Yesterday’s grandma wore glasses. Chances are that today’s grandma wears contact lenses while her children get used to reading glasses.

While yesterday’s grandma had white hair, today’s grandma runs to her colorist as soon as grey roots begin to show. And that’s not the only time she runs. Keeping in shape by walking, jogging, cycling or swimming is a must for most of today’s grandmas. In comparison yesterday’s grandmas were too busy keeping in shape doing housework without the help of today’s many labor-saving devices and taking care of the yard and garden to ever consider  the idea of a gym.

And that’s the big difference between today and yesterday. Housework can be accomplished so much faster and efficiently today than in the past, and is generally more shared with the man of the house that in the past. At least, it seems to me.

That’s a good thing because it frees grandma to continue her work outside the home beyond the normal retirement age which will help her live longer. Research is indeed showing a strong association between continuing to work and health. Why? Because work gives everyone a purpose and a strong social network. Of course, doing volunteer work produces similar benefits and it is something in which every retiree can become involved. Grandmas and grandpas.

The Marvel of Grandchildren                             

I was visiting my son and his family when I had a fall with my face coming in direct contact with the hardwood floor. There was a lot of blood and a bump quickly appeared just above my nose, however an emergency room visit confirmed that there was no damage, except in my appearance. The big problem was that I soon looked like a racoon on a bender.

          I was having breakfast with my son the next morning when my grandson appeared. He took one look at me and started to laugh. He had never seen two very black eyes on anyone before, and it tickled his fancy.

          The boy had simply reacted to the reality before him: I did look funny. That’s the marvel of children, isn’t it? They say it like it is. No sugar coating, just the truth as they see it. We all need them in our lives.

To stay young we have to surround ourselves with our grandchildren as often as we can manage it. They see things simply, laugh easily, even at their grandparents, and don’t complicate things as we adults often do. It has been my experience that grandchildren make you smile and laugh, warm your heart and force you to be young, to sing, to be silly without any need to apologize. And grandchildren are nurtured by the love and attention of grandparents. People always remember fondly the time spent with their grandparents as they were maturing. Two generations that complement each other perfectly.

As Sam Levenson said: The simplest toy, one which even the youngest can operate is called a grandparent.

           Don’t forget that this year Grandparents Day is September 11. (It’s always the first Sunday following Labor Day.) It honors grandparents for their contribution to our lives, and  gives grandparents an opportunity to show love for their children's children. Let’s celebrate.

On Being Positive

People who must use walkers in their daily activities are often seen shopping, and they do it without problems. They have a bag at the front of the walker in which to deposit their purchases and thus can remain independent.

          A few days ago as I was grocery shopping, I saw a lady pushing a walker down an aisle while also pulling a shopping cart. She had already deposited several items in the cart and was adding to her purchases. As it was a lot work for her, I offered to help. She smiled and replied: “Thank you, dear. You have your own shopping to do. I can manage. Do it all the time.”

          I was really impressed by her positive attitude. I did the rest of my shopping slowly while keeping an eye on the woman. She managed well despite some physical limitation and has obviously learned to make the best of her situation to remain independent.

          At the cash, the bag boy who knew her by name helped her to empty her cart, then carried her purchases to a waiting taxi. I wondered if someone would be waiting at home to help her with the groceries. No doubt the cabbie, who also seemed to know her, would do just that.

          What I found nice was that through it all, she was pleasant and grateful. So much better than some people with mobility issues who seem to be always cursing their fate while complaining. Makes life so much less enjoyable for everyone.

          A nurse I know told me recently that she takes grumpy patients to task for their attitude. She says that a positive outlook can have a positive effect on health, something she tries to instill in the patients who are rude.

          And the amazing thing is that a smile costs nothing.

Back in the Day
Adults have a reputation for boring kids with their tedious diatribes about how hard things were back in the day. What with walking twenty-five miles to school every day...uphill... barefoot...yadda, yadda, yadda! However, now it is hard to not notice how the youth of today has it easy compared to when we were growing up! I wonder if they appreciate it.
= We grew up without the Internet.  If we wanted to know something, we had to go to the library and look it up, in the card catalog!! 
= There was no email!!  We had to actually write somebody a letter with a pen! Then had to walk all the way to the corner to put it in the mailbox!  Stamps were 10 cents!
= There were no MP3's or iTunes!  If you wanted to steal music, you had to hitchhike to the record store and shoplift it yourself! Or you had to wait around all day to tape it off the radio. There were no CD players! We had tape decks in our cars to play our favorite songs, and when ejected the tape would come undone rendering it useless.
= We didn't have cell phones. If you left the house, you just didn't make a call or receive one. You actually had to be out of touch with your "friends". Think of the horror of not being in touch with someone 24/7!  And we didn't have Caller ID either! When the phone rang, you had no idea who it was!  It could be your school, your boss, your bookie, the collection agent ... You had to pick it up to find out!
 = We didn't have any fancy video games with high-resolution 3-D graphics!  We had the Atari 2600!  With games like 'Space Invaders' and 'Asteroids'.  Your screen guy was a little square!  You actually had to use your imagination. 

= You had to use a little book called a TV Guide to find out what was on! When it came to channel surfing you had to get off your ass and walk over to the TV to change the channel.

=There was no Cartoon Network! You could only get cartoons on Saturday morning.  Unlike today’s spoiled kids we had to wait ALL WEEK for cartoons.
 = And we didn't have microwaves.  If we wanted to heat something up, we had to use the stove!   

=And our parents told us to stay outside and play all day long.  No electronics to soothe and comfort.  And if you came back inside you were doing chores!
= As for car seats, mom threw you in the back seat and you hung on.  If you were lucky, you got the "safety arm" across the chest at the last moment if she had to stop suddenly, and if your head hit the dashboard, well that was your fault for calling "shot gun" in the first place! 
            The question then is: How long would today’s kids last in the “back then” world?

Beware of Cons

As I was happily doing a bit of shopping in the cool air at my local mall recently a man approached me to ask for money. I assumed the man to be in his late fifties, early sixties. He was well dressed, well groomed and appeared to be in fine shape. His graying hair gave him a sophisticated look. He told me someone had stolen his wallet and that he had absolutely no money to get back home on the bus.

Being at an age that leads me to be somewhat weary of strangers wanting money—any amount—I told him that unfortunately I was broke myself. He then boldly suggested that we might go to an ATM where I could get cash so I could give him some money. I firmly told him no and walked away, but I did keep an eye out. Women of varying ages seemed to be giving him $5 and $10. He was after all a poor boomer who had been victimized by a thief. Who could say no!

A bit later as I approached the ATM at one end of the mall, I saw an older woman, no doubt well into her eighties, trying to get money while the well groomed con man stood close by keeping an eye on her bank card and certainly her PIN. Using my cell phone I dialed 911.

Luckily a patrol car must have been around the corner because two large policemen quickly accosted the man. After some verbal exchange they took him away. I later learned that the man had been sought by authorities for milking older women of money. Just goes to show you that con men come in every age group.

I am firm in not believing every sad story. I let my instincts guide me and I am rarely wrong. Of course, for me the best way to help others is to give to recognized charities. That way I’m sure the money goes to help those who really need it. Not con men.

 

 

Dog Days

The stores may be full of reminders that the start of school is not far away, for those of us who live in the Northern Hemisphere there is still a lot of summer left as we bask in the dog days. Typically, the dog days are mid-July to September 2, the hottest time of the year. Some believe the term dog days originated with the Romans who were convinced it was a period of the year when dogs became mad and wine turned sour, a time when man was plagued with disease and discomfort.

         Mankind is still plagued with the discomfort of heat and humidity during the dog days of summer even more so now with global warming, just ask those who work outside. However, not everyone is complaining. Some people just love the summer heat, the higher the thermometer reading the better. Those people are easy to spot: during the dog days they vacation in Florida or they don a sweater when the temperature drops a few degrees; the latter is especially true of older individuals. Although I’m not as young as I used to be, this definitely is not for me. Yet.

        Those of us who endure the dog days of summer more or less graciously have a tendency to forget that in a few short months, the temperature will dip to an indecent level. When reminded of that fact, we quickly realize that this is the time to make the most of summer.

         But the dog days are brief indeed and we’ll get to welcome fall before we know it. I personally like experiencing different seasons, but it’s not something all countries get to see. I recently read a comment by an African woman who cannot understand how people can survive in snow and ice. We all get used to our own world, don’t we?

          When I get older I may need to wear a sweater during the dog days as an older relative had on when I visited her recently, but in the meantime if I could spend the dog days in a swimsuit I would. Some people do, of course, but they have the shape for it. In my case it might well make people think that the dog days do indeed bring discomfort to mankind!