Why does it feel like the world's got it all backward these days? Here I am, a 64-year-old man who winds up scratching his head more than he used to when faced with whatever newfangled 'progress' society is prattling on about. Maybe it’s the curmudgeon in me, or maybe, just maybe, I'm not the one who's lost the plot.
Take this whole business of removing every last ounce of customer service from every joint you walk into. Nowadays, you’re lucky if you can find a human being in stores, never mind one who’ll actually serve you. Society pats itself on the back for this – calling it self-service, efficiency, or some other buzzword that’s as empty as a politician's promises. I call it a sorry excuse to pinch pennies.
And then there's technology – it’s like every month there's a new gizmo promising to make life 'easier.' Pretty soon, we won’t even need to get off our butts to do anything. You know what was easy? When a phone was just a phone and not a pocket-sized Orwellian nightmare. You'd dial a number, and here’s the kicker, just talk to someone. That's it. That's all it did! Hence the name! What a concept! What we have today are not simply "phones". They're electonic computerized communication (and tracking) devices!
Don't even get me going on social movements and trends that vanish faster than a cold beer on a hot day. One minute everyone's shouting about one thing, and by the next full moon, they've latched onto some new cause like it's a life raft. It’s a merry-go-round that makes me dizzy some days.
Piecings, tats, yellow hair? Mohawks? Hey... if that's your gig... get it done! Just don't get mad at me for staring with a WTH look on my face. You wanted attention... here it is!
Now, I'm not some old geezer pining solely for 'the good old days.' Lord knows every era had its own brand of horsepucky to deal with. But there's something to be said for a bit of consistency, common sense, and traditions that have a shelf life longer than your average loaf of bread.
So why am I pouring out my grumpy heart to you? Because damn it, someone has to. I’m not about to sit in my rocking chair and watch the world lose its marbles (cat's eyes and clearys included) without at least voicing my two cents worth – even if it feels like shouting into a hurricane. I'm here to call out the stupid, the nonsensical, and the just plain daft moves society pulls. And I'll do it with the stubbornness of a mule and maybe a dash of old-timey charm, if I can muster it. No promises made!
There’s a gap alright – between sensible and harebrained, and I'm teetering on the edge, wondering why the hell everyone's jumping into the abyss. I mean... there needs to be a little common sense somewhere in all this! Someone needs to grab the wheel before we all careen off the cliff. I guess it might as well be this grumpy old fart.
And I’ll tell you what – I might be seriously outdated, but I’m not obsolete. There’s life in the old dog yet, and I plan on biting back at the BS with a vengeance. Stay tuned, and let's sort the wheat from the chaff together, one grumble at a time.
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