"PROGRESS"

Have you ever just sat back and thought about the old days, and what it was like compared to today? Often I do ,and I must say that there have been a lot of changes in my lifetime, but just think about the great people who have been on this earth for 100 plus years. Life back then was not an easy one, and today it is a lot more easier, but with strings attached. They have seen a change, that has both made it a lot more easier for them, and changes that will cause them some grief in order to have them.

Just think about how hard it was way back then to get the water, just to cook with and to drink and bathe. They didn't have the simple way of just turning on a faucett, and water was there in a flash. and they didn't have the luxury of a water heater to heat it up to take a bath.  They had to go down to the river, or they had to dig a well, to get their water. Once they had their water carried up to the house, then if they wanted to bathe in it, they had to heat it on either a big wood stove or a fireplace.  Now it is just turning on a faucett and the water is there. That is a big change for them, but also now they have to pay for that new way of getting one of GOD's greatest resources.

And to add to that, the way to get rid of the waste products has been greatly improved. Back then, the way was a trip to what was called an outhouse,  where the deed was done. This meant that every once in awhile, you had to fill this hole with lime and even sometimes move the outhouse to another spot. Now the way that those wastes are taken away is a much more sanitary way, and much more convenient. But they didn't have an expensive bill to pay back then, and now it just keeps getting higher in cost to take care of the sewage, thus adding to the bills that these elders have to pay for, out of their small pensions.

Where, back in those old days,most of the news were just by word of mouth, now they have the modern convenience of getting it by a newspaper, television, and radio, and for some by way of the computer. But to get this modern way of spreading the word, they once again have to dig down into their empty pockets and pull out money that just isn't there most of the time.

As to the everyday need for food, Most people in those days, put out gardens and had their own cows for milk, and they raised their own stock, to fill their need of meat. These days, gardens are still here, but not very many. It is a trip to the store to get those things that each of them needs to nourise their bodies. And so that the food is safe to eat, because of the time spent either in a container or in the freezer, it has to meet the requirments of the government, before it can be sold, and if it has been on the shelf too long, then it is destroyed in a way that it cannot be used by anyone. This means that it will cost you more money in the long run, because you and I are the ones paying for the product.

Then, we get to the problem of transportation. People in the old days did not go anywhere much, except to town or to church, and to visit family. So a horse and wagon were the only things needed to get around, as well as a good set of legs. Now , with the world growing everyday, you have to rely on a good car, or truck to get around. That means maintenance on that car or truck, and it means having to pay the terrible high cost of gasoline, if you want to go somewhere. We in this country are at the mercy of the other countries, because they govern the cost of getting it to the pumps. So there is another added cost to those elders ,as well as all the rest of us, that has to come from empty pockets, of those people who live on very little to start with.

To keep warm in the old days, it meant that you had to keep a large supply of wood ready to use whenever needed. as time progressed, it was coal and wood that was used. Now in order to keep warm we have the luxury of a gas furnace, and maybe an all electric heat, which also means that another bill has to be paid. You either keep warm or you freeze to death.

What I have written about is that we, as the decendants of a great group of people, have really let them down. Even though they have done their time, through the years to help progress, so that it is easier for us to maintain a comfortable way of life, they still have to maintain theirs, with a small amout of money, that was either saved or gotten through social security. Where would we be without them. Oh sure, progress probaly would of happened anyway, but would it of been as good as we have it now

Progress is great, and we need to move on to improve our life, so that our young folk would benifit as we did. But will we as the elders, have the means to benifit from that progress.

We see great buildings going up by the banking companies, and the insurance companies, along with those of the people who want to advise you of the proper way to invest. The only progress here is for the ones that have the stock in those companies. Why does a bank need the high cost buildings, to take care of the people whose money they are using? Why do the insurance companies need the same high cost buildings to insure the people who pay for that insurance? And if you need someone to tell you how to spend your money, then you are either not married, or you never had to work for a living.

Take the medical situation that we have today. Your doctor , who knows you better than anyone, will prescibe a medicine for you or suggest to you that you need an operation, but in most situations, you will have to get the ok from a person, who is sitting behind a desk, and has never met you. That is really stupid in my book.

So where am I going with this look at progress? I am saying to you, that there are still some of those elders out there, that have not been called home yet, that needs to have a little easier way of maintaining their life. Give back something to them who gave their lives to us. As I write this, I am wondering how will it be for me ,when I get older? Will I have to dig down into empty pockets for the little prayer of survival? Have we really progressed much in the last one hundred years? Take a little car ride to those nursing homes and ask the people who really know.

So, as I take you each time down memory lane, I hope that you are able to use the things that you read, to help you understand, that it wasn't easy to survive in the old days. A day of working and some rest was the extent of most. A full stomach and a good night's sleep were the benifits. The love of each other was neccesary to make it, as everyone had to pull together.

Yes, we have made a lot of progress as time has changed, but did we bring with it, a sense of togetherness, teamwork, and ethics? Did we do a good job of making sure of the survival of our elders? Ask yourself if you really think that what we have accomplished in the last century, benifits all of us. To forget that it took the work of those elders, to get us where we are now, would be a terrible thing to do. To let them make it on their own without our help would be saying that it was not worthwhile. Think about what I have said and then go to those who are still here and say thanks.

I guess that I am just an old softy, but I know that most of you feel the same way.