THE WORLD AROUND US Even though I’m not up on it, I admire the use by young people of their modern electronic devices – their texting and on-line research. The other day my grandson was best man at a wedding where the bride was from Australia. When I asked if he had ever heard of the song TIE ME KANGAROO DOWN, he said no, then whipped out his phone and was listening to Rolf Harris’ version of the song immediately. In my youth I was pleased when calculators were developed. Believe it or not, I once taught an engineering course in slide rule application. Today it’s difficult to find someone who ever heard of a slide rule. But with their noses stuck against a screen, aren’t people missing a lot in the natural world? Being raised in the country in the Appalachian Mountains, with growing things, plants and animals, life did not hold too many surprises for me and my peers. By the time I was five I knew all the technical aspects of reproduction. When I became old enough to experience the emotional part of it I was already aware of the two dangers, unwanted babies (before the days of birth control pills) and disease (which is still prevalent). But I think modern youngsters are missing much more. My friends and I, girls as well as boys, knew about food, animals and plants raised at home, as well as wild stuff for the taking. How many people today ever heard of “Sarvice” berries, much less tasted one? And paw paws, persimmons, chestnuts, other nuts and berries, watercress, poke, dandelion greens, wild plums and grapes. Then there were the decorative stuffs – bittersweet, mistletoe, and wild holly. Even the spring water in the hills was a treat. We roamed the ridges of Lee County gathering such things. And who today has ever even seen much less swung on a grapevine swing? Swinging on a grapevine swing, laughing where the wild birds sing, Oh to be a boy with a heart full of joy, swinging on a grapevine swing! (Or, oh to be a girl, with a heart all awhirl, swinging on a grapevine swing!) Yep, there is a lot more in the world than electronic devices. I dislike seeing it missed.
Posted on: Fri, 19 Jul 2013 20:06:49 +0000
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