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Opining of a Cranky Old Man
Do You Still Have Ice Cube Trays? Columnist
Struggling with Modern World
By Bill Kalmar, Retiree
 May
4, 2010 - Those of us who are senior citizens, or as we are sometimes
called – “those in the autumn of their years.” have seen a lot of
changes in the world. If one could just take a snapshot right now of
what is in our home, our automobile or what we can purchase in the
various stores, one would quickly realize that we are living in a
remarkable time.
Here are just a few of the items that have made me
realize how technology has altered our lives so dramatically:
● We just recently purchased a Keurig
coffeemaker. With this appliance, one can make a single cup of
coffee and iced tea or a hot chocolate. No more grinding coffee beans.
And, no more percolators, which I remember when I was growing up in the
50’s. The Keurig is very convenient and, frankly, it’s lots of fun
choosing the various types of coffee in the little K-cups, as they are
called.
● Cable television seems to be the norm in
most households these days. The choice of programming is endless
although even with our hundreds of channels it is sometimes impossible
to locate a program worth viewing. There are just too many reality
programs on that in my mind are moronic. Is anyone really interested in
what the Kardasians are doing?
● And no need to ever leave our favorite
comfortable chair as we watch TV now that we have a remote control.
Growing up in the 50’s, I was our family’s remote control which meant
jumping up every now and then to change the channel. Don’t even need a
“TV Guide” anymore because all the programming and upcoming shows can be
seen on the screen. Now that is technology!
● No need to even discuss the changes in phone
service. From one who still remembers party lines, we now have iPods,
cell phones and iPads. Our cell phones have become part of our
anatomy – we never leave home without it!
● Our car has heated seats but some cars
now also come equipped with air-conditioned seats.
Heck, I remember when a passenger side view mirror
and a cigarette lighter were options on a car. The side view mirrors now
come with heating elements and turn signal indicators. But if I recall
correctly, cigarette lighters are no longer provided in most car lines.
And, our last car came with a “rain sensing
accessory” so that when the first drops of rain hit the windshield the
wipers would come on simultaneous with the headlights turning on.
Evidently in some states having headlights on during a rainstorm is the
law. I didn’t know that but somehow my car did!
● Wind up alarm clocks are probably a thing
of the past. Now our alarms are radios that wake us up to music. And of
course we can set multiple alarms at different times. Back in my youth
there was no snooze alarm – that function fell to my Mom who woke us up
again after we turned off the alarm.
● Refrigerators now come with water and ice
dispensers, a far cry from the “ice-boxes” we had as children when
we eagerly awaited the horse drawn carriage and the “ice-man” who
delivered large chucks of ice. And now there is never a need to fill
ice-cube trays since ice is always available in the dispenser. In fact
when our grandchildren come for a visit, they are mystified by the
ice-cube trays we still have!
 So as you can see, we are living in a world where
convenience and ease are the by-words. Now if I can just figure out how
to stop my VCR from constantly flashing “12:00”!
L Bill Kalmar is retired in Lake Orion, Michigan,
and is the former Director of the Michigan Quality Council. He is a
frequent contributor to SeniorJournal.com. His opinions are his own.
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A sign of
the times that makes a columnist rethink his attitude on retirement