Computers, Love

I saw a young Asian woman on the train this morning wearing a surgical mask.  So, was she protecting us from some rare form of fire-breathing bacteria that she somehow contracted in some foreign land? Or was she protecting herself against all of our heathen, deviled breath?  It reminded me of when we were kids and the only true way to protect your dessert (or any other delicious food on your plate) was to lick it.  No one wants your licked food.  I wanted to walk up to that lady, reach out, and say, "I'm not touching you! I'm not touching you!"

Then I got to the snug comforts of my cubicle, open the paper, and read about how pretty soon we won't have drive our own cars anymore.  I'm no expert, but I think we're losing our humanity.  Not that I don't welcome automated roads, but heed my warning: As with cars, so goes the cock!  The car (and our mobility) pretty much has dictated culture in this country since the 40's.  Nowadays we can travel to the far reaches of this planet online without ever having to get up off the couch.  What's next?  Cybersex? Oh, right.

I recently got into listening to bluegrass/roots music and had a sobering thought... These musicians are old.  Who's next in line to pick up their Pa's banjo or fiddle?  I don't have any friends that have a remote interest in this genre of music.  And even fewer who can actually play a musical instrument.  How will these skills survive the coming generations?  Wikipedia will explain to our future children that long ago humans made music on contraptions made of wood and string.  But they won't believe it (as they sink back into the recesses of computerized music of bleeps and bloops).

Yesterday I saw a funny thing online showing the Tweets of several (thousands?) of people who did not know Titanic was a real thing.  Or who Paul McCartney was. I'm not lamenting the evolution of technology (I am writing this on a blog after all), but aren't we supposed to pass down to our heirs some pieces of traditional knowledge? My Granny (bless her saintly soul) made chicken and dumplin's I painfully miss today.  Seriously, I would murder a man to have some right now.  Unfortunately, she did not teach her daughter (my mother) how to make this amazing dish.  And now it's gone.

There are some things we cannot afford to lose.  Automated roads will save lives, but computers will never kiss you goodnight.