Growing up there was a real experience. We had mules and mule-drawn farm implements, a Sampson tractor with steel wheels, then 2 1947 John Deere tractors, a McCormick hay baler, an International Harvester combine, a side delivery rake, corn picker, bush hog, ploughs, cultivators, etc.
My grandparents lived comfortably, but never had AC, TV, PC, etc.
I have seen a lot of transition in my lifetime: mules to air-conditioned tractors and harvesters; prop planes to jets; phones requiring central office operators for local and long distance communication to smart phones; tabulators and adding machines to scientific and financial calculators and PCs; radio to smart TV; telegram to email; typewriter to word processor; teletype to internet.
Oddly enough, there has not been really significant advancement in transportation in decades. My 1966 Buick Skylark was super nice, and my 1969 Lincoln Continental Coupe was far more luxurious than most current offerings: Napa leather, 12-way power seats, power steering, brakes, windows, door locks, AC, AM/FM stereo. The extra gadgets on modern vehicles are not essential. Nav is on smartphones. I do like XM. EVs are cute play toys for yuppies. Baker Electric went bankrupt in 1915. Huge inventory of unsold EVs today. Largest mfg, Toyota, retreating to ICs and hybrids.
Air service? I flew from Nashville to NYC in 1965 on a Boeing 707 faster than air service today.
Trains? Definitely in major decline over the decades. We had luxury service Nashville to Atlanta and points beyond with dining and club cars in the 60s… but, alas, no more.
We have had significant advances in medicine, but I think we have a higher incidence of illness in the population now than decades ago
It all makes me wonder what the future will bring. Revolutionary, evolutionary, or ho-hum? I’m good-to-go with where things stand now, but I would like a smartphone with Norelco shaver heads and beard trimmer.
25 
Message Thread
« Back to index