In Praise of Older Things…

Ok, I admit it. I am a technogeek. I’ve always loved technology, progressive stuph, newer, better faster, etc. I’m a Boomer only by age, but more of a Buster and X-er in personality. I jumped on the online bandwagon with Xanga, then Myspace, Facebook, Twitter, and of course, Kid Stuph. I love new stuph…

However, there are some things that I have a hard time letting go of. I remember when cameras started going digital. I decided then that I was in some respects, a purist. I took photography in high school, and spent my time working with contact paper and Dektol, and loved the process of starting with film and moving to developed prints. I vowed that I would never EVER  go digital…

I lied…

I did move into the digital world, but still remember the fun times in the darkroom. I also think about other things that I am not ready to get rid of. Here are a few…

• Books – real ones. Hardback, soft cover, paper and ink kind. Now, I am a Kindle/ebook guy, to a point. For me, though, there’s something about picking up an actual book. Physical books give you an ability to escape, to focus totally on them. You can hold them, touch them, feel the texture of the pages while you read. Even shopping for books is a whole experience that is different online than in a bookstore. I love seeing the different style of books – tall, short, thick, thin… it’s visual stimulation. Online, just doesn’t cut it
• Home Cooked Meals – I love taking the time to cut up veggies, the challenge of not crying when dealing with onions, the smell of fresh Italian basil before it goes in the pan… I love putting a rub on a Tri-Tip or pork roast. Microwaves are great for heating up water, but even that loses its savor compared to the experience of the whistle on a tea pot
• Live Bands – my son, Demo, creates amazing music on the computer. I am in awe over the fact that he can make a full 24 track score by himself by moving some lines on a computer screen. But, I think I love it more when he sits down at the baby grand and starts to play. Maybe cuz it gives me a chance to grab my guitar or trumpet and join in with him, or maybe because I can listen to the active creative part of him that is not just code. It’s note by note, the good with the bad, and the process of moving through it all to the eventual end.
• Real Exercise – In these days of Wii fit and DDR, I just don’t get the fascination of playing a game about playing a game. When I was younger, my mom always told me to go outside and play. I still think there’s something to that.

I think the one thing that all of these have in common is real relationship. People used to browse books in my collection to borrow, so we would be able to share about it face to face. I like that. Cooking for, or even better, with people is just fun, and playing with people is great. I like giving virtual hugs, but they will never compare to a real hug, and those that know me know that Facebook pokes don’t tickle like real pokes.

I like older things that I can experience with other people, in the same time and space. Not virtual with, but physically with. I’m sure there are other things that I cannot do away with that are not tied to others, but for the life of me, I can’t think of any. Just thinking of all of this now makes me want to do something with someone (look out world, TPM just might show up on your doorstep 🙂 ).

So, how about you? What are you holding on to that technology can’t replace? What do you appreciate about the good ol’ days that newfangled stuph cannot outdo? What are you missing out of real relationship that you need to get back?

It’s time to go outside and play…