Staggering

This last week of July as some folks squeeze more road trips or float trips into the fleeting days of summer, recollections of ones we took and lamentations for ones that never happened might pop up. Days get busier, nights slip by, calendars fill up in spite of efforts to experience a bit more summer fun.

How did our parents and grandparents manage to sit on the swing sipping tea and listening to the birds with days filled with chores completed without the conveniences of today? They planted and harvested, weeded and raked, canned and pickled, and still had time for fish fries and family gatherings, hosting the grandkids and writing letters, visiting neighbors and going to town, making homemade ice cream and fried chocolate pies, hanging clothes out to dry and mopping the floors, and resting on Sundays after church and dinner.

How? Well, they didn’t have technological time wasters handy. I’ve tried to imagine how different my memories would be, how my present might look, had my parents and grandparents whiled hours away on social media, minutes on screen somehow morphing into months? Go there in your own imagination for a few minutes.

That is not to discount the benefits we reap from our technology. We work, study, and worship on our devices. We shop for school supplies, clothes, groceries, even vehicles! It’s a valid tool and time saver for sure.

But...what do we do with all that time saved? As calendars shrink and time sneaks by, what memories will surface when we and others reminisce on these days? It’s startling what can be accomplished. It’s staggering what isn’t.