We recently stayed in a hotel on the National Register of Historic Places. It was modern enough to accommodate all of the needs for today with plenty of quirky remnants from the past. We loved the 🥛Milk Closets throughout the hallways. These were used when 🥛milk was delivered to homes. The closets had 🚪doors on both sides- the outside of the house and the inside. In this case, the hotel was once an apartment building- thus the closets in the halls.
We’ve come a long way since 🥛milk was delivered to homes and stored in 🧊ice-filled closets to stay cold. Now, we’re choosing the finishes for our refrigerators. Do we want side-by-side or bottom freezers? 🤷🏻♀️
I remember when our next-door neighbors got the first microwave oven in the neighborhood. It was mainly used to melt 🧀cheese, which we shredded on chips with a metal cheese grater. We stood close enough to 👀watch the magic happen but not close enough for whatever electromagnetic radiation might be coming out of that thing. 😂
Cable 📺TV was another innovation that brought joy. I grew up with three channels that signed off at 🌙midnight with a 🇺🇸flag on the screen while the national anthem played. Then, nothing but static until morning. When cable became a thing, it opened up new worlds. More recently, I remember the dilemma of abandoning that once-loved cable for streaming channels. It took me forever to make the leap- then I wondered why I waited.
How about ☎️phones? If you ever had a phone number that included a couple nines or zeros, you understand the wait time for those rotary dial calls! The cord on our kitchen 📞phone was stretched thin because my brothers and I would pull it to the basement stairs and shut the door- hoping no one else listened to our calls. Then, the answering machines came on the scene, which meant we didn’t have to answer the ☎️phone every time it rang. Plus, planning the outgoing message was just plain fun! Now, 📱texting is the communication of choice. Actual phone calls are rare and reserved for important events or exceptional people- even then, we might hesitate to pick up.
Technology- it has a place, for sure. Our lives are ✅easier, ✅faster, maybe even ✅more entertaining because of modern conveniences. I just hope technology doesn’t replace the moments we all need in life. ✨An iPad is not a substitute for snuggling with your kids to read their favorite books. ✨You can’t replicate the excitement from receiving a handwritten letter. ✨The prayer emoji shouldn’t replace prayer. ✨Zoom isn’t an equal exchange for face-to-face conversations. You see where I’m going with this, right? We can benefit from technology as long as we hold onto authentic moments, genuine interactions, and honest effort. 💥What if…technology is just a tool? Use it but don’t swap it for those moments that matter. We’re not getting those times back. If we’re mindful, it’s possible to have the best of both worlds.💖
sharing the stairs 