Yesterday (Christmas) was in the 40s, bright and sunny and clear. I went outside to enjoy it, expecting to see the neighborhood children rolling on new skates, riding new bikes, tossing new footballs to friends, or new basketballs into new hoops or new baseballs into new genuine imitation leather baseball gloves, or grooming new ponies. But no. The front lawns and streets were empty. All the kids were inside playing John Madden simulated video football or Wiiing on their TVs. One little girl (I found out later) was feeding plastic carrots to a "life-like" robotic pony. I am not writing this as a wizened old curmudgeon decrying the new technologies. I am jealous that their new toys allow children to enjoy playing at any time, in any weather. Though we did not have a white Christmas, children anywhere were simulating the thrill of employing new sleds, new snowboards or new hockey gear without even having to put on new snowsuits and other winter couture and undeterred by the undependable and inconsistent nature of sunlight and air that we had to deal with when I was growing up. Ain't simulated life virually grand?
Friday, December 26, 2008
It's Like Life, Only Different
Yesterday (Christmas) was in the 40s, bright and sunny and clear. I went outside to enjoy it, expecting to see the neighborhood children rolling on new skates, riding new bikes, tossing new footballs to friends, or new basketballs into new hoops or new baseballs into new genuine imitation leather baseball gloves, or grooming new ponies. But no. The front lawns and streets were empty. All the kids were inside playing John Madden simulated video football or Wiiing on their TVs. One little girl (I found out later) was feeding plastic carrots to a "life-like" robotic pony. I am not writing this as a wizened old curmudgeon decrying the new technologies. I am jealous that their new toys allow children to enjoy playing at any time, in any weather. Though we did not have a white Christmas, children anywhere were simulating the thrill of employing new sleds, new snowboards or new hockey gear without even having to put on new snowsuits and other winter couture and undeterred by the undependable and inconsistent nature of sunlight and air that we had to deal with when I was growing up. Ain't simulated life virually grand?
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
2 comments:
I want to get a Wii game that simulates playing a video game.
Hope your Christmas was great.
Brian said to let you know in sin city the children were out in his neighborhood enjoying their new bikes, skateboards, scooters, etc.
Post a Comment