Spirk (with a small dose of Pinto)

I’ve only been a fanatic for ST. When there had been NOTHING like it before ever. Heck, not even color TVs. And heck, not even TVs. The entire technology was brand new. The original for so many years, but aos now also.

I was thinking how while ago the youth today don’t get that we had 3 channels on our TV, one phone connected to the wall – certainly didn’t go with you anywhere – a dime in our pocket for a payphone if something happened.

Then I think of just my parents – who started on a farm, an outhouse, no ice, no AC, no tractors or automated farm equipment – or cars. Horse and buggy literally. Watching trains was a new experience. And I think they felt the same – they resented how easy all the next generation had it, how lazy we were compared to they who got up before sunrise and did hard manual labor ALL DAY with nowhere to go to get cooled off but to jump in a local little pond or something. So I get it.

We all feel like, from our perspective, the world began the day we were born. Everything that came before is so old and old-fashioned. But it wasn’t. There just was no real technology for thousands and thousands of years. Every day was like the day before. You had to scratch out everything out of the earth to just survive. The average lifespan was in the 40s. That’s how hard everything was for thousands of years.

And then suddenly there everything changed and during the course of one hundred year period, the 20th century during which all that stuff was invented – every single day was different from the one before. New technology, better tech, everything produced was already outdated by the time it came off the assemly line. Suddenly more existed within that 100 year period than had for all the thousands, millions of years that came before.

So I didn’t get my parents who had nothing but sweat and blisters and callouses and bitterness and hard work. And they didn’t get me who could watch 3 channels on a b/w TV and see movies.

Can you even imagine how they felt – one movie theater (no complexes with more than one screen – there weren’t that many movies coming out). And they sat and watched Wizard of Oz, beginning in b/w – and when Dorothy goes to Oz, everything awakens in beautiful, glorious color. All those people had never seen a color movie – never existed.

But I was fanatic for SW in that I really enjoyed the first one, and Empire Strikes Back (my fave), but not the 3rd nor any to follow since; but mostly for the great joy it brought my child. There were just a few SW toys in the beginning and I got him all I could afford. He deserved great joy after what he’d been through, and I’ll always be grateful they were there for him. And the joy he gets sharing it with his own child, who has never become the fanatic. Loves it. Had toys. But not fanatic.

It’s hard to become fanatic of movies now or TV shows, when there are so many games and phones and apps. We used to become a fanatic because there were really few choices.

Now their enjoyment is spread among uncountable distractions – minecraft, fortnight, many more I know nothing about and don’t care, texting, netflix, the many streaming services. I think it’s literally impossible for anyone to become fanatic over any movie franchise any more.

Too many choices (now that’s healthy minds. Unhealthy ones latch on to Joker and dark dark themes and whatever. I’m not talking about them. I’m talking about every day people with jobs and mortgages and car payments, etc.)

Star Wars and Star Trek were phenomena that I’m not sure could ever happen again. But then again, as all humans, I could be wrong. And based on what has changed since the 1930’s till now, I can’t even imagine what awaits you guys who will carry on. Technology doesn’t just grow, doesn’t just double. It grows exponentially in detail and in quick discovery.

ST may have been so wrong about the timing of so many things, but they may be spot on for the development of the warp drive. A lot of you here now will see. If old leaders don’t destroy it all before it can happen.

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Well, in all fairness about music.
All those millions of years up to early 1900s, there wasn’t a way to play music at home, except people who played their own instruments. And those who got together and played the stuff passed down from their ancestors. It was a major huge thing to have a way to record music at all, much less share it. And with the invention of recording, each generation of parents has had an opinion about the new stuff. That’s so new though!
Of course, when Handel wrote the Messiah and it was premiered, wow did it get awful reviews. It took a few years of performances for anyone to accept it. So yeah, those of Handel’s parents’ generation were saying the same thing! Those kids’ music, ugh. But such a new thing, music recordings, to even have the privilege to complain about!

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