I have always been one of those people who likes to do things the "old, albeit often slow" way rather that embrace the new technological advances of our times. Usually I come around to sense and sensibility but rarely do I reflect on the advances we embrace on a daily basis.
I grew up with a father who as a truck driver seemed to know his way no matter where we were and thankfully passed on his awesome sense of direction. I also grew up with a mother who enjoyed plants and flowers and found a way to teach me about them without sacrificing my masculinity! I am always reminded of the Wonders of God when I look into a flower whether it is the simplicity of a common violet to the intricate details of an orchid.
What does the Internet have to do with all of this you ask? Well the story goes like this....
I was driving down the road this week with the family when I spotted something that brought me back to my childhood, at warp speed. I slammed on the breaks and threw the truck in reverse without saying a word which Rebecca was quite confused with, you would think after 13 years of marriage she would be used to it by now!
What was it that I saw that would demand my immediate attention you ask? Are you ready?
A flower growing on the side of the road - not just any old flower though, it was a Cypripedium acaule also known as a Pink Lady's Slipper (or Moccasin flower) which was something I haven't seen growing in the wild in quite some time. Needless to say the entire family was intrigued and enjoyed the beauty of this rare site. I must admit I felt rather like a smarty pants when the kids asked me what it was and I actually knew (once again - Thanks Mom) but it also got me thinking about some of the wild plants and flowers I have located on our property that I have no idea what they are.
Here it is the whole Internet tie-in to this story.
Tonight I went online and started looking for identification guides for the local New England flora and fauna and came across a great web site for the Connecticut Botanical Society. While poking around the site I was able to locate and identify many of the plants in question which I hope to take pictures of and post here throughout the year as they make their presence known.
When I logged off of the Internet I realized how easy and quickly I was able to get the information I wanted and cringed when I thought about the research that would have gone into the same project 10 years ago. Now don't get me wrong I have nothing against the library - heck its a nice air conditioned place to go during the summer (especially when I'm too cheap to put the air conditioners in at home) but I am now wondering how long they will exist with the rate technology is going. When my kids are my age will the library be more like the museum?
Tuesday, June 3, 2008
What did we do before the Internet?
Posted by Charles and Rebecca at 20:45
Labels: A day in the life of Charlie, Wildlife
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3 comments:
Its nice to know that you are into flowers and such, but have not been emasculated. Julie and her mom are all about that stuff, and I must admit, I'm psyched about having a place someday where we can spend more time planting stuff that we want to see.
And the libraries, I think they are here to stay, but like most things, their purpose/identity is still in transition.
I too love the internet for researching things and it is only becoming bigger and better.
The one big gripe about using the internet for research is the fact that its full of crap spouted as truth, so it's hard to know who to trust. But, now you are starting to be able to get the same resources on-line as you can get at a library: full books.
I think libraries will only survive as a type of public bookshelf. Not that that's a bad thing, mind you. It's just that I think people will do their research in some on-line format and then only when they actually need to read a full book will they go and check one out (because I suspect that real books will always be more enjoyable to read than virtual ones).
Like Charlie said, the net is so much quicker and it is only getting bigger. I think within our lifetimes you will be able to join a virtual library with most of the books in existence available for your perusal. Trying to duplicate the research potential of something like that is almost impossible for anything in the physical world.
Well, Son, I too remember Dad's sense of direction and he did teach all three of our children how to remember the roads. He used to ask: "Well, how do we get home now. Where do I go?" Then he would follow the road directions that you gave! All three of you were pretty good at remembering what roads to take. I wish someone had done that for me! My family did not have a car. We used to take the bus or the train to get around. My Mom did not get her license until she was 50 years old. She made up for the years she did not drive. My Dad purchased a car for her as soon as she got her driver's license.
Mom
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