I have always wanted to like Bob Dylan. It seems like it would be cool to say “yeah, I am into Dylan.” As hard as I have tried to be a hip Dylan fan, I just don’t get it. I understand many people idolize Dylan and that is fine, for me, I will just listen to something else.
In my quest to become a Dylan follower, I listened to the song “The Times They Are a Changing.” Dylan recorded this song in the early 1960s and certainly dramatic social change was in the air. While the early 1960s were a historic time of change, the fact is we all deal with constant change. If we are seeking a place and time in our lives where change is minimized, we will be disappointed and frustrated.
Instead of striving to find a happy place where nothing changes, we should focus on thriving in an ever-changing world. I was recently faced with a changed that caused me to reflect on all the many changes in our lives and how we can deal with the constant churn.
The stereo in my 10-year-old truck is broken. When new, it was the latest high-tech super deluxe 6 CD changer model. For its time it was really cool, now it looks like a dinosaur. My CDs are jammed in the device and will not eject. The stereo continues to try to eject the CDs even when the ignition is off. This will eventually run down my battery, so I have pulled the fuse on my old radio.
I went shopping for a new stereo and the first question asked by the salesperson was, “do you need a CD player.” This was a defining moment for me, logically I knew it was time to move on from the CD world but emotionally, I hesitated. Maybe the sales person only asks older people this question.
I have listened to music most my life. Music has always been important to me. I started listening on a transistor radio. I remember the first time I heard the Beatles after an Astro game. I moved to a record player and then to a stereo. I had an extensive vinyl collection. Upon buying my first car, I installed an 8-track player. This technology was really bad, many times upon ejecting my 8-track, the tape would come out of the cartridge. Sometimes the tape would get “eaten” by the player. I moved from 8-tracks to the slightly better cassette tapes. In the late 1980s, I made the big transition to CDs. Somewhere along the line, I sold all my vinyl records, I sure wish I still had them today.
These days I stream most of my music but still hang on to my CDs. The stereo in my truck was my last CD player and now it has bitten the dust. I don’t need the CDs anymore, so I am going to let them go and buy a new stereo with no CD player. Another music media transition will be complete, and it will all be okay.
I have always prided myself on staying up with the latest technology. As I have gotten a bit older this goal harder to maintain and I find myself slower to move to the next big thing. Maybe this is wisdom at work, I don’t believe in making a technology transition just because the new gadget is available. There must be measured value for me to invest in a technology change. That being said, it is important to understand new technologies. My mother is my hero in this area. She is in her 80s and is very computer literate. She has an iPhone and texts me with emojis. This is just one area where I hope to be as cool as my mother. 😊
It is important to stay on top of technology trends. Many times, new technology can be life-changing. My father-in-law used to tell me about pushing his father to install indoor plumbing. His father was hesitant to embrace this new technology. Clearly, my father-in-law had a good grasp on a technology that was here to stay.
Many new technologies have come and gone, having never taken root. A key to success is learning to identify the value of a new technology. This recognition process usually means being slower and more thoughtful in evaluating a new entrant into the market. This can be difficult as the latest gadget can look like a shiny object that attracts our attention. Applying financial rigor by evaluating the value of a technology will ensure a happy purchase for the long haul and avoid investing in products that look cool but don’t really solve problems or enhance our lives. The times they are a changing, are you keeping up?
Make the most of this day!
May 8, 2018 at 7:45 pm
Sometimes you just have to ask yourself, how is this really going to make my life better. The key is to be honest with yourself. Very hard to do sometimes.
June 4, 2018 at 7:27 pm
I know just what you mean about Bob Dylan. I tend to prefer others’ covers of his songs, better than his original recordings of them. He was talented, to be sure; I’m just not a big fan of his singing voice/style. Try this version of the song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mikV8VbZoQk (it’s Peter, Paul, and Mary). An anthem whose time has come again…
Funny about your mom. My grandmother was very knowledgeable about the latest tech news right up to her death (she was in her early to mid 90s). She never used a computer and always thought it was “too late” for her to buy one and learn, but I’m convinced she’d have been quite adept at it within a week’s time. Just not sure she really needed one. She was always up on the latest developments from Intel. She read and watched the news voraciously and knew just about everything that was going on in the world.
I still like to stay up on technology, but now I’m not so quick to JUMP on it – it’s worth taking a few deep breaths and thinking about all the pros and cons. I left Facebook BEFORE the Cambridge Analytica scandal hit the fan, and certainly had no regrets AFTER that news broke. (That wasn’t why I left, mind you. I left because I don’t like disingenuous liars. I’ve always figured anything put online was just one accidental keystroke from being public, anyway.)
There’s a fun little game to try: for every wonderful advancement in science and technology, name its evil flip-side. I have not yet been able to think of one thing that can’t be abused or twisted to do harm. (That includes low-tech things – pretty much any invention since the dawn of man.) Actually, it’s not all that fun. Don’t play this game on days when you are already disillusioned with the human race.
I agree with Paul. I often have these “I wanna be Amish!” days. I talk myself back from the brink, remembering that it’s not a good fit for an independent, strong-willed, educated woman who would burn through tallow candles like water reading in bed at night – and NOT just the Bible in German. Still… you get the idea, I’m sure.
June 5, 2018 at 10:29 am
You are right, it is really Dylan’s performing skills that turn me off. So much so, I can’t get into the songs when he sings them. Listening to PP&M confirms that Dylan is indeed a great songwriter.