7 Things That Were Better Before They Got “Better”
There’s no stopping advancement. Tools are becoming more sophisticated and everything seems to be getting faster, more efficient, more compact or hands-free.
But there are some things that were just fine the way they were, in fact some things were better before we made it “better”.
1. Coke. Coca-cola in a glass bottle. This not only looks cooler than a plastic bottle or can but there’s something about ice cold coke from a glass bottle that makes it taste better too.
2. Organizers. I’m still fond of the trusty pen and paper. For me, tasks are better remembered when I physically write them down. There is a sense of accomplishment by being able to cross completed tasks off a list. I just don’t get the same feeling ticking a box on a screen.
3. Phones. While cell phones are convenient they can be very intrusive. I don’t like the idea of anyone person being accessible 24 hours a day 7 days a week. If you’ve ever had a cell phone/blackberry/iPhone for work then you know they come with the attached expectation that you will be available. All the time. I like the idea of a land line with a good old fashioned answering machine. If you’re not around to answer the phone you’re likely doing something of value to you and it’s nice not to be distracted from that.
4. Food. Walk down any aisle at the grocery store and you’ll see them. Convenience foods. They come in all serving sizes, a variety of flavors and are there for your convenience. I’m all for making meal prep as quick as possible but what I don’t like is how these foods taste very different from the food they are intended to replace. If you were to make many of these convenience foods yourself, from scratch, you would see that they don’t really taste anything alike.
5. Technology. As technology advances and everyone becomes plugged in it’s becoming harder and harder to unplug. I find people are more stressed, tired and generally burned out than before. With all the noise out there through twitter, facebook, blogging, and email there is very little time to switch off and even think.
6. Cameras. Before digital cameras we were actually more careful of the pictures we took. We didn’t want to waste film so we generally took time to set up a shot, compose the picture properly and really see the subject. In the digital age we are more free to take pictures at our whim. Snapping shots left, right and center not really paying attention to what we’ve just captured. These pictures are then dumped onto the computer, rarely looked at. The poor pictures are rarely culled and the good ones are lost amongst the masses.
7. Television. The choice of TV programs is incredible these days. The sales pitch is usually centered around a massive number of channels with stations from different time zones so if you miss a show, don’t worry it’ll be on again an hour later. With all this choice it’s no wonder we get sucked in hour after hour. Before all this choice we used to play outside, get more done and actually connect with our family. Since we’ve turned off the TV we’ve noticed big changes in ourselves and our interactions with our family members.
Granted there’s no escaping change, progression or advancement. Some of these improvements are actually beneficial and don’t get me wrong I love my digital camera and access to information (via the Internet) whenever I need it. There are just aspects to the way things used to be that are still really appealing to me.
What do you think was better before it got “better”? Or do you feel we are truly getting better all the time?
See also:
10 Ways To Feel Better in 60 Seconds Or Less
The Grass Is Always Green Right Under Your Feet
7 Little Indulgences – Very Little Guilt
Photo courtesy of: zetson
25 Responses to “7 Things That Were Better Before They Got “Better””
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Your Life | Live it. Love it. is a book designed to encourage you to examine where you are right now and inspire you to get to where you ultimately want to be.
I found your site on technorati and read a few of your other posts. Keep up the good work. I just added your RSS feed to my Google News Reader. Looking forward to reading more from you down the road!
LOL Sherri! You’re starting to sound like an old woman! I half expect to hear you shouting: “You kids get off my lawn!” any day now
But in all seriousness, you’re absolutely right. Things have gotten easier, more convenient, but I don’t think they’re any “better” than they were before. In fact, just as you’ve pointed out, I think a lot of them are actually worse. I couldn’t agree with you more about the coke thing, and cell phones. I was the last person I knew to get a cell phone, and that’s exactly the reason why…too much accessibility. Sometimes, I just want “me” time, or “family” time, without the distraction. Of course, it’s easy enough to turn it off, but then I feel a little guilty, like what if there’s an emergency?
I wonder if there’s a better way? Do we always have to trade our privacy for convenience? Is this even a good thing to do, ever?
Jay Schryer´s last blog ..Memories Best Left Forgotten
I especially agree regarding the phone. Usually, a camera phone is not as good as a camera, a music phone is not as comfortable as an iPod (another thing which I consider too bloated nowadays), a phone’s GPS rarely competes with a dedicated GPS, and I could list.
I own a simple sms and voice-only phone. It costed me only 1 euro!
(roughly 1.3 dollars)
Peace and simplicity,
Zoli
Zoli Cserei´s last blog ..Hey! You Should Win At My Contest!
A quote I saw yesterday on Twitter: Computer made everything easier that we didn’t need to do before computers.
Woa, great:))
Zoli Cserei´s last blog ..Hey! You Should Win At My Contest!
Love this post!
Laura´s last blog ..A Teaching Vocabulary
@Jay – LOL that’s funny. I was thinking of putting something at the end to that effect. Maybe I’m just getting old and maybe everybody goes through this when they hit a certain age. Next it WILL be yelling at the kids to get off the lawn!
@Zoli – I love that quote it’s so true.
Thank you.
@ Laura – Great! I’m glad you liked it
I’d throw on certain cars, too.
Specifically Porsches for me… They used to be cars that you had to learn how to drive, so you didn’t just end up crashing them. (A la James Dean.)
Now, they’re computer-controlled, so if the computer decides you’re not driving well enough, it’ll kick in and take over, adjusting everything from the suspension height to braking pressure.
While many argue that this made them better, they argue that for the same reason I say it’s worse, “Everyone can drive them now.” Sorry, but there are some cars that just anyone shouldn’t be able to get the keys to and drive without learning a bit. (I mean, how many people have ever driven a rear-engine car before? I haven’t yet, I haven’t gotten to drive a mid-engine car yet either, sadly.)
I guess I’m too much of a purist for my own good… Or just in the wrong era.
Foxie //CarsxGirl´s last blog ..The Year of Extravagant Birthdays
Hi Sherri
I sometimes wonder if many of the things we have around us are there simply because we can now have them. Buttons, switches and features that do many wonderful things that we rarely, if ever, use. And with it, most things have become disposable – they do so much that they either become obsolete within a year or are so complicated that they go wrong within the same time frame. It creates so much waste it’s scary!
I remember my first car which was so simple I could actually fix it myself, despite having no mechanical skills at all. Now if I had a car there is no way I could fix it if it went wrong.
Ian | Quantum Learning´s last blog ..A World Where Conflicts Are Solved Peacefully
You nailed it, TV doesn’t get any better than “Murphy Brown”. I was really young when that show came on but I LOVED IT. I haven’t seen anything like it since.
P.S. I am also aware that I am the only person who seems to LURVE this show.
Hayden Tompkins´s last blog ..The Familiarity Factor and What it Means For Your Success
I think Food has definitely gotten better. Not talking about processed food, here, but the vastly improved distribution system and constantly improving production standards. Obviously it would be great if everyone could and would grow at least some of their own food, but there never has been a time in history when everyone had their own garden, and there never will be.
And frankly, TV is a lot better too. Not necessarily the programming (although I think the depth and breadth of choices is pretty astonishing – archival, too, since so much is available online, in DVD, etc) but the delivery systems pretty much rock.
Can you tell I love my Samsung?
You are so right on! I am currently getting a masters degree online and love the convenience but really miss the bricks and mortar environment. “Talking” with people online or posting to discussion boards is definitely not as beneficial as talking in a *real* classroom setting.
I am also taking a meditation class that is being taught by a dynamite woman who is in her 70s. On the first day of class she started writing on the whiteboard and I kept thinking “God is she so slow!” (I know, that’s really awful of me). It took me about 5 full minutes to realize that that’s the way it’s been done until the last 10 years or so. I LOVE how slow and thorough she is now and am embarrassed that I ever wanted her to hurry up. I’ve learned so much from her and am reminded of how impatient I’ve become.I’m 38 so I definitely know better. It’s astonishing how quickly our thinking can change in such a short period of time.
Thanks for the great post.
Lisa
@ Foxie – Born in the wrong era … I can relate to that. As Jay so kindly pointed out I already sound like an old woman.
@ Ian – You’re exactly right. When Gwynn and I look at buying something if it has too many computerized parts, buttons or switches we usually look for an alternative. These bells and whistles are just more things to break
@ Hayden – LOL that’s funny! I’ll admit that I used to like that show as well, like not LURVE
@ Lisa – Thank you for sharing this. I think a lot of us can relate to that feeling of wanting things to go a bit faster especially when we’re so used to a quicker pace. There is so much to be gained by slowing down and taking our time. We notice things, the small things, and are better able to digest the information we’re given. Bigger, stronger, faster does not always equal better.
Back in the old days (the really old days) you didn’t have to work all your life to pay for a mortgage. Land was free.
I agree with turning off the tv. I rarely watch it. But please don’t take my internet! LOL
I agree about the glass bottled Coke. We still can get it here in China. It tastes so much better chilled out of glass than out of plastic.
I have to disagree with the camera one though. My digital camera has saved me so much time and I do discard crappy shots and touch up some with photoshop.
Thanks for the interesting post.
Gordie Rogers´s last blog ..Online Tools For Lifestyle Design.
Great article, Sherri, and too true!
Coke was also better when it contained sugar instead of high fructose corn syrup. Sugar is not great, but HFCS is far worse. (Now they are finding out that it releases a dangerous chemical after reaching about 120 F.) Unfortunately, it is also in cereals, breads, snack foods, ketchup, and many prepared foods. The increase in childhood obesity and Type 2 diabetes is being attributed to HFCS, because it is harder for the pancreas to deal with than sugar.
I disagree with the poster that said our food is getting better. With additives like HFCS & MSG; genetically modified corn, soy, and other grains; and the depletion of the soil the food is grown in, I’m afraid we are in trouble. It is harder and harder to find good food, and the price of organic food is prohibitive.
That sounds ironic and wonderful, that the massive number of TV channels was something that had you turn away from TV. Hopefully other people will get to have that experience too.
Right on… Coke in a glas bottle was so much better. And like Mari C. mentioned, it’s better with sugar. I like to drink Jones Cola for that reason, made with sugar instead of high fructose corn syrup.
I agree with the organizer thing too. I prefer pen and paper to keep track of my notes.
Eric´s last blog ..Vacation Rage – Eight ways to reduce theme park stress
Hi Sherri,
I’m a great fan of Coke and I certainly agree with you that Coke does taste better from a glass bottle. Too bad it’s no longer available in the stores and eateries in Singapore. It’s still available in Hong Kong so whenever I travel there, I’ll drink it to my heart’s content!
Cheers~
Mark
When I think of it, I believe there might be more than 7 things were better, lot of old houses, old toys, old recipes, old keepsakes, old furniture, old ways of living is more better. Somewhere along the speed new age, we have lost what it used to be. Thanks for reminding.
Zengirl´s last blog ..11 reasons we hoard on things
Many things.
Human beings–much better as children, before as adults we try to be better.
Sex–much better before people try to make it better.
Kaushik´s last blog ..Healing…
Hi Sherri!
I think you’re right on with these, although it would be hard to make me go back to a non-digital camera. I do take the time to compose proper photos, only because it’s such a ‘chore’ to go and delete all the bad pictures.
Luckily, there are glass Coke bottles in many countries still. I had one this afternoon!
David Cain´s last blog ..The Easiest Way to Suffer
Sup Sherri.
I couldn’t agree with you more on the Coke. Plus the Coke in the old days used real cane sugar instead of the corn syrup they use today. The old-fashioned Coke left your mouth feeling clean, the corn syrup one just leaves your mouth sticky at the roof of your mouth. I think all these “improvements” have made it so that life doesn’t mean as much to people. It’s kind of hard to explain what’s on my mind, but I’ll dish out a few examples. I didn’t live in those “old days”, but I know what they were like from talks with my father. Life was certainly harder in some ways in the old days, but people still lived because it was worth living. Indeed there were fewer suicides then there was today. Plus, we cared a lot about how we were perceived in public. This can go either ways, but I like to go the old-fashioned way. For example, when we didn’t have computers, we communicated by telephone or by writing letters. Compare the letters that the people in the past have written to each other to the emails you see in most people’s inboxes from their friends. The letters written by hand are generally well written and utilized proper grammar. It was almost like a work of art, even short letters. It was also worth reading. Nowadays, with communications so instant, stuff like IMs and emails don’t sport those characteristics. They are usually short written in haste, well you know what I mean. We also dressed more formally in the past. When we were out in a restaurant or going grocery shopping, even in the house, we dressed formally to look good for ourselves, not other people. One last thing I have to say is that our attention span back in the old days was much longer than the average attention span people have today.
Wow, I’m posting this like a year after this entry was written. Hehe. I hope this still gets read.
I mostly agree, but I love my digital camera. We use the pictures for the screen saver on the computer, so we do see them pretty regularly. Otherwise, yes, they’d be a waste of space. My husband constantly feels bad that he doesn’t think we take enough pictures and I keep reminding him that we take far more than we would if we had to pay for film and development.
Stephanie: last blog ..Should You Tell Your Child They’re Talented?