Oh My, Times Have Changed

Last night, as the credits scrolled on the television for the movie we watched...CRASH!

Did I mention we watched a suspense/thriller? I shouldn't watch this type of movie after dark as it is, so the loud BOOM and floor shaking didn't help the excitement.

All three of us instantly blamed the new kitten but she was in the living room with us. Upon entering the kitchen, the two shelves over the window had broken at the same time. When the shelves have away, the items they held bounced, flew, bobbled, and landed from one side if the kitchen to the other.

With the exception of the shelves, nothing broke. No one was in the kitchen at the time so no one was hurt. And Naomi is very thankful because she was climbing where she wasn't suppose to be.

As we picked up the items decorating the floor, stove top, and counters...we laughed. My first comment, "At least the large coffee maker didn't break." But then I noticed my Boom Box.

Okay, most if you just smiled and thought, "Boom Box, I haven't heard that in a long time." And then there is the percentage who are shaking their head because you don't know what I'm talking about. I included a picture above for those wishing to travel down memory lane and as an educational tool for the younger generation.

Not only is it huge, it's heavy. I'm guessing it's the culprit for our need to remodel the kitchen shelving. This beauty has detachable speakers, a CD player, a double cassette, and radio. How cool is that? It even had an antenna you have to extend up in order to find reception. Did I mention the knobs turn to find your station? No seek or search buttons on this relic.

All these options made it a fifteen pound, top of the line, music system. You are thinking that since it is still in our kitchen, all its features are stellar, right? Not so much, sadly. The CD player doesn't work, aluminum foil is wrapped on the broken antenna, and the static while listening to the radio was greater than the music or commentary. The cassettes both worked but the feature that triggered the second to start when the first finished, broke so I had to stand on the bench and push the button in all by myself. Can you believe it?

Why do I keep this memorabilia in the house? First and foremost, it works!! I listened to stations I knew came in clear, KLOVE is one if them. And I don't have many cassettes so My boom box only booms radio waves.

In the crash, one of the speakers came off and the wiring doesn't want to reattach. So do I toss the one speaker, reducing the weight and increasing the likelihood it doesn't break another shelf...or do I step up and join this generation?

Do you see that tiny, light weight, and shiny rectangle in front if my boom box? That my friends, is my I-Pod. One my daughter saved up for and bought herself, a few years ago. When she upgraded, she gave me her old one. It holds ALL my music, not just a CD and couple cassettes. It fits in my back pocket, weighs next to nothing, and can plug I to a small speaker that is louder than my beloved box. It shouldn't be a tough decision, yet it's one requiring thought. If we, as a society, continue to throw out our broken and outdated items, the landfills will overflow, but then there is the logical side, I could save a LOT of shelf space and use less energy with the I-Pod too. Due to the extent if non-working parts, I'll recycle the boom box this week.

I hope to remember how blessed we are and to appreciate the conveniences we have. Some ever so small, yet just as important. Things have changed, and continue to do so, but we don't have hyphae them all...right now. Each time I turned on my kitchen radio, I remembered memories of my childhood.

Recycling the radio doesn't eliminate the memories, just removes the trigger if youthful and fun times.
Then and now...
Now and then What thoughts are you left with after reading today's blog?