Thursday, July 10, 2014

A Time Gone By: Bulletin Boards

My oldest daughter cries out, "Oh, I wish we could go back to a time before iPods!"

We were watching a documentary about the little lake community where her grandparents have a home. In the 1940's, this exact same spot teemed with teenagers who gathered at the Marina to check out the bulletin board to find out what was going on. My daughter was seeing photos of a social spot where she stood herself just a few hours before.

In 1940, teens her age would hang out together, talking and listening to Big Band music. We watched the old folks who were teens at that time report on the fun, the joy, and the memories of a magical childhood on the lake.

"There's no bulletin board because it's all on the phone! There's no listening to music because it's all on earphones!"

She's seriously upset as she watches the documentary. "What will we remember? Our phones? Our internet?"

It's something to think about. I miss the bulletin board gatherings myself. I miss the communal musical experiences. I miss the real hangouts (and not the google ones). 

Maybe there's a way to bring some 1940's back to 2014.

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