We live in a very different world than we did just a few years ago. As I get older, I find myself becoming more and more nostalgic for things past. Just the advancements in technology are mind-boggling. At the risk of dating myself, let’s take a stroll down memory lane.
In 1981, my brother bought the first VCR I had ever seen (outside of the classroom). Remember the ones where the little compartment thingy (that’s a highly technical term) popped up, you put the tape in and pushed it back down into the machine? It was about the size of a small suitcase. The cost of that bad boy was over $900! I remember being so proud of my Christmas present to him that year — 2 blank VHS tapes. No, I wasn’t cheap — just the opposite. Those tapes were $20 a piece!
Take a look at the evolution of the telephone in the last 20-25 years. I did a search for pictures of old telephones, and the results labeled this one as an antique! 
Excuse me, but this is the very telephone that sat on the table in the hallway of my home growing up. Antique? I think NOT! And how excited was I, as a young teenager, to get my very own Princess telephone for my bedroom? If you’re too young to know what a Princess phone is, then you don’t deserve an explanation. By the way, do people even have “home phones” anymore?
What about computers? The term ‘computer’ can be so vague, because after all, just about everything nowadays IS a computer. I read somewhere that my Blackberry has more computing power than the first Apollo space rockets. That reminds me of a line from one of my favorite movies, “Apollo 13″. Astronaut Jim Lovell, played by Tom Hanks, is leading a group of people on a tour of the launch facility at the Kennedy Space Center. Listing some of the technological advancements that had occurred because of the Gemini and Apollo programs, Lovell mentions, “computers that can fit into a single ROOM!” Now that same computer can fit into the palm of my hand.
Certainly technology has changed a lot over the last quarter century. But economically things have changed drastically just in the last year and a half. With the severe economic downturn, most of us are faced with altering our lifestyles in one way or another. In my home, eating out is now considered a sin. The twice monthly manicure pedicure ritual is a thing of the past. A lot of the things we used to pay someone else to do, we’re now doing ourselves (or just ignoring and hoping they’ll go away).
Gone are the days of conspicuous consumption — it’s just not cool anymore. In fact its way more stylish to be cheap! I’d love to hear what changes you’ve made in response to the economic environment we’re living in. Are you clipping more coupons? Eating more ground beef and less steak? Car pooling? Maybe you’re doing your clothes shopping at thrift stores. Feel free to leave a comment and let me in on your money-saving secrets. And don’t forget to check out www.writemywalls.com for great ways to update your home decor for less.
Because I’m mildly obsessed with reality TV, here’s your friendly reminder that the season finale of “The Bachelor” airs this coming Monday, March 1st. Who do you think Jake will choose?
