Saturday, August 25, 2012

The Golden Past......


Today, the weather here in New Delhi is simply amazing. It was raining throughout and as I looked out of my window, sipping hot ginger tea, I wondered about a lot of things. These days I am reading “11/22/63” by Stephen King. Reading this book has been a roller coaster ride so far. In this story, the protagonist journeys back to 1958 via a “rabbit hole”. The author talks about the whole 50’s-60’s era in detail about the quality of food, the prices, the people, and the landscape.

The whole late fifties to the mid seventies era fascinates me. The pre-industrialization era where the word terrorism was not of daily use and food came from farms not mega factories, and friendships were formed to be lived, not to showcase on Facebook. I wonder what it would be like to live there, where the air actually had 22% oxygen content. Where the S-word and the F-word are not considered cool and a sense of safety prevails; where one does not have to undergo a full body scan just to board a two hour flight. I would watch epic movies like Breakfast at tiffany’s, To kill a mockingbird on the very first day of their release while eating popcorn which has real butter on it and drive back home in a '67 Pontiac Grand Prix convertible.Where Springsteen and the Beatles would rock the music world.  



I know most of you reading this would argue that the equality in society, the sovereignty, the technology and the medical advantages we enjoy today would outnumber the above factors. And the statistics like infant mortality rate, life expectancy, poverty rates etc would favor you too, but ask yourself this, wouldn’t you want to make “some actual friends” who you meet physically every day instead of a herd of online friends who may or may not be truthful. Don’t you want your “normal” food to be originally organic instead of specifically asking for one? I can go on and on about this. Maybe I am a bit biased. I am a classics fan and have always preferred nature to technology (although I am pursuing my Bachelor’s in Technology and Mechanical Automation), books to internet. Well I think it causes no harm to fantasies of a better world.  

4 comments:

  1. So right! More joy, more satisfaction with simple things. The more people get the more they want and the less satisfied they become.
    I have seen children in India smiling in delight as they played with an empty cardboard box and children in the western world scowling at a new $100 toy that did not meet their expectations. According to a fairly recent magazine article, the average Australian kid owns one hundred toys. That is ridiculous and they don't look any happier than kids decades ago with two or three.

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  2. I couldn't agree more. It's hard to have a conversation today without some electronic device interrupting it. I too enjoy the beauty of nature, movies with a heartfelt story, and food that grows from the ground.

    Enjoyed looking around your blog. I found you on Goodreads and would love it if you stopped by my blog, Kick Back Moments at http://pstrack.blogspot.com.

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    1. Thanks for the comment Peggy. Saw some lovely pics on your blog :)

      Followed you :)

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  3. Hi Felicia,

    New follower from Goodreads :). I loved 11/22/63, can't wait to hear what you think. My blog is http://homeiswherethebookis.blogspot.com/
    I would love for you to check it out.
    Kristen

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