Civilization...or something like it
As previously, also available at http://www.tagworld.com/rassilon
I have been thinking of the concept of humanity and civilization lately and I have to say that I don’t have much hope for it. Oh we have made great leaps in technology over the past few centuries but the society and "civilization" not so much. Dumbing down seems to be the norm rather than exception in society. We have very modern machines but few people know how they run or God forbid, if they break how to fix them. I work in a Satellite TV provider company and you would be amazed at how many people call in with complaints about the service because they moved things around and forgot to plug the cable into the "Satellite In" hole. And I can’ t count the times in a week where people who I see riding the bus daily can’t figure out that the doors in back operate via a motion detector so if you place your hand against the door like you are expecting it to take your palm print like you are trying to get into the federal reserve 3 blocks before your stop, it is not going to work. However you move your hand when the overhead light comes on and it’s witchcraft I tells ya!
The present day society has also given up most hope on basic civility. I was waiting at a crosswalk with the little white indicator that it was okay to cross when some shmuck squeals around the corner on a red light (you are supposed to stop and then if it is clear then turn) doing about 50 kmph shouting into his cell like he is trying to be heard over a friggin’ chainsaw. About two years ago, again at an intersection, an ambulance is coming from the south and going north, sirens and lights going to beat the band. Meanwhile, this guy in his car feels he has to go through the intersection otherwise he MAY have to wait an additional 2 minutes to have supper that night. He narrowly misses the ambulance and then has the NERVE to blow his horn at the ambulance. How dare the guy in the ambulance even think about dying when this guy is going home for supper! Doesn’t he know who that driver is? He is the sole reason that the multiverse was created and don’t you forget it.
The frightening thing is that when you do try and do the right thing people sometimes look at you like you should be two cells down the corridor from the Joker in Arkham Asylum. I was telling a story from my past to a co-worker a few days ago. It was about 1988 or so (my own timeline is soooo confusing ;) and I was driving from St. Catherines to Niagara Falls Ontario, which is about a 15 km. drive when there was this car on the side of the road with the windows up on fire. I was operating pretty much on instinct and pulled over about 50 feet or so ahead of that car and had my passenger pop the trunk so I could get a block of wood I had in there for traction out. I thought someone could have been trapped in the car and wanted to get them out. I had my companion get the car further away and ran to the burning car and smashed the driver’s side window and tried feeling around for someone and yelling in case someone was stuck in the back seat. I finally determined that no one was in the car and left to call 911 (cell phones were not in common use at this time and I am not a big fan of them even now but that’s for another time). As I reached a phone I heard the sirens so I just went on my merry way. Anyways, when I told my bud from work about this I get this weird look and was asked about my sanity. He figured if I had been there when the fire department and cops arrived they probably would have locked me up for suspicion for fire. It didn’t occur to him and to the other cars that passed by as I was trying to see if I could save someone that if circumstances had been different, someone may have died if I had done nothing. You do what needs to be done and deal with the circumstances like that later.
I don’t know. Maybe I am an anachronism or maybe the standards I try to live by just are not applicable to society in general. Maybe it is everyone for themselves and I should just join in all the reindeer games. Ahhh, it’s a Friday and maybe I am just tired with the world in general. Later all.
I have been thinking of the concept of humanity and civilization lately and I have to say that I don’t have much hope for it. Oh we have made great leaps in technology over the past few centuries but the society and "civilization" not so much. Dumbing down seems to be the norm rather than exception in society. We have very modern machines but few people know how they run or God forbid, if they break how to fix them. I work in a Satellite TV provider company and you would be amazed at how many people call in with complaints about the service because they moved things around and forgot to plug the cable into the "Satellite In" hole. And I can’ t count the times in a week where people who I see riding the bus daily can’t figure out that the doors in back operate via a motion detector so if you place your hand against the door like you are expecting it to take your palm print like you are trying to get into the federal reserve 3 blocks before your stop, it is not going to work. However you move your hand when the overhead light comes on and it’s witchcraft I tells ya!
The present day society has also given up most hope on basic civility. I was waiting at a crosswalk with the little white indicator that it was okay to cross when some shmuck squeals around the corner on a red light (you are supposed to stop and then if it is clear then turn) doing about 50 kmph shouting into his cell like he is trying to be heard over a friggin’ chainsaw. About two years ago, again at an intersection, an ambulance is coming from the south and going north, sirens and lights going to beat the band. Meanwhile, this guy in his car feels he has to go through the intersection otherwise he MAY have to wait an additional 2 minutes to have supper that night. He narrowly misses the ambulance and then has the NERVE to blow his horn at the ambulance. How dare the guy in the ambulance even think about dying when this guy is going home for supper! Doesn’t he know who that driver is? He is the sole reason that the multiverse was created and don’t you forget it.
The frightening thing is that when you do try and do the right thing people sometimes look at you like you should be two cells down the corridor from the Joker in Arkham Asylum. I was telling a story from my past to a co-worker a few days ago. It was about 1988 or so (my own timeline is soooo confusing ;) and I was driving from St. Catherines to Niagara Falls Ontario, which is about a 15 km. drive when there was this car on the side of the road with the windows up on fire. I was operating pretty much on instinct and pulled over about 50 feet or so ahead of that car and had my passenger pop the trunk so I could get a block of wood I had in there for traction out. I thought someone could have been trapped in the car and wanted to get them out. I had my companion get the car further away and ran to the burning car and smashed the driver’s side window and tried feeling around for someone and yelling in case someone was stuck in the back seat. I finally determined that no one was in the car and left to call 911 (cell phones were not in common use at this time and I am not a big fan of them even now but that’s for another time). As I reached a phone I heard the sirens so I just went on my merry way. Anyways, when I told my bud from work about this I get this weird look and was asked about my sanity. He figured if I had been there when the fire department and cops arrived they probably would have locked me up for suspicion for fire. It didn’t occur to him and to the other cars that passed by as I was trying to see if I could save someone that if circumstances had been different, someone may have died if I had done nothing. You do what needs to be done and deal with the circumstances like that later.
I don’t know. Maybe I am an anachronism or maybe the standards I try to live by just are not applicable to society in general. Maybe it is everyone for themselves and I should just join in all the reindeer games. Ahhh, it’s a Friday and maybe I am just tired with the world in general. Later all.
posted by John @ 9:34 AM
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