This Too Shall Pass

/ Ann Coleman

Accepting change has never been my strong point.  I have a strong tendency to stick with  familiar things, and to cling to my long-established routines.  People usually seemed surprised (and a little impressed) when they ask me how long I’ve been volunteering at the local animal shelter and I answer, “almost seventeen years.”  A big part of the reason I’ve stayed so long is that I’m passionate about helping shelter dogs.  But if I’m being entirely honest, I have to admit that walking shelter dogs three days a week has also become a habit, and I don’t break habits easily.

But the problem with being resistant to change is that far too many things in my life are changing, and not always for the better.  In my darker moments, I strongly suspect that most of the things I enjoy and a most of the ways I prefer to do things are fast becoming obsolete.

For instance, I love taking photos, which is easier than ever now, thanks to digital cameras and smart phones.  But I also like to print them off and display them in photo albums, and it’s getting harder and harder to find any place that makes good-quality prints, much less actually sells photo albums to store them in.  I’ve been using the website of a local camera shop, but they recently replaced their edit feature with one that isn’t compatible with my computer, which is not a change for the better.

My husband and I are also apparently among the few people who prefer not to bank online, and actually pay our bills the old-fashioned way, by mailing checks.  Yet we know we are living on borrowed time, as our bank keeps making it harder to order checks, and also sends fewer checks with each order.  (Even though the fee for ordering checks keeps getting higher.)  I suspect they’re trying to see just how much they can charge their customers per check before we give up and switch to on-line banking.  Which, of course, makes it so much easier for hackers to access our accounts, so you can see what an improvement that’s going to be.

I love to read books, and by that I mean actual books…the kind that are kept on a book shelf.  But book stores are closing all over the country and some new “books” are being published only on-line.  I know that saves paper, but I also know that staring at screens for hours on end isn’t good for our eyes.  Plus, all those devices that we read from operate on batteries and/or electricity, which isn’t exactly good for the environment.  But mostly, I just love books and truly hate the thought of a world without them.

Sometimes I’m afraid the time is approaching when even writing, which is one of my greatest joys, will be obsolete.  Who needs to actually know how to write when we can have all our needs met by simply talking to our computers, virtual assistants and assorted other gizmos?

Still, I know that change has always been a part of life, and that since we’re living in what can only be described as a “technological revolution,” it’s simply coming at us a little faster than I’d prefer.  And I like to think that just as our ancestors lived through eras of great change (such as the industrial revolution), I will get through this as well.

Perhaps the time has simply come for me to worry a bit less about the changes around me and have a little more faith in my ability to adapt and cope.  And to remember that not all change is bad, and that some change is actually very, very good.  All I can say is that I’ll try.

Meanwhile, I’m going to keep walking the shelter dogs, and possibly start stockpiling photo albums for future use.  Because some change is simply unacceptable…..

108 thoughts on “This Too Shall Pass”

  1. It’s interesting how vinyl records have made a return, despite the prevalence of digital downloads. I can’t imagine photos coming back in the same way, but who knows? Thought-provoking post, Ann – I really enjoyed reading it.

    Liked by 2 people

    • Thanks, Julie! I can only hope photos become popular again…I love mine! And storing them digitally (only) means that there is a chance they can be lost when the technology becomes obsolete. I have a photo card that is too large to fit into any of my devices. I don’t know what photos are on it, but I do know I can’t access the card anymore!

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  2. Ann, I hope this helps: I believe both Walmart and Walgreens (in the self-printing area) still host the large cards, but a downtown photog store might also, if u have one. Also, photo albums can be found at the Goodwill (and other resale) stores. As you can probably guess, DH and I are very much like you and your husband. Progress is good to a degree; damned if I’ll ever put our banking numbers out there! The culture will just have to deal with us!

    Liked by 1 person

    • That’s what I think! I hate all the pressure to have to abandon all our usual ways of doing things. It’s not as if we’re insisting that anyone else follow our example, both our kids do online banking that that’s just fine by me. And thanks for the tips about the photo albums and the stores which might be able to read that larger photo card. See, another reason to do prints: they never become obsolete, and we can look at them whenever we want to!

      Liked by 1 person

  3. I totally agree! We have a gap of several years with very few actual photos, although we took about a zillion. Especially realized this when the whole family was at my parents’ for the 4th and we all had such fun looking through a big box of old photos.

    Change is great, but sometimes the old way is best. Just think of strawberry rhubarb crisp….

    Liked by 1 person

    • I love that! Yes, change can be wonderful, but I don’t think it should be total and shouldn’t wipe out some of the “older” ways that we know and love. I guess when it comes right down to it, what I want is to have a choice, and what I’m getting is more and more choices taken away. And yes, there is nothing better than strawberry rhubarb crisp!!!!

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  4. I can totally relate to your feelings, Ann. Things seem to change so quickly and I’m not sure if it’s always for the better. I fear photos will no longer be passed down generations as people don’t take to the time to have their memories printed and bound inside an album. I feel the same about writing handwritten letters. Emails are often sent in place of a letter which ends up being deleted. I’m so thankful I have notes and cards written to me by my grandmother tucked away in a special box.

    Liked by 3 people

    • Me, too! I have a box of old letters and cards that I’ve received throughout my life. I didn’t save them all, of course, but some of the special ones. And I love that I have letters that were handwritten by my grandparents and my father, and old friends I haven’t seen in years. It’s a piece of history! But without those albums, it could be lost. I’ve tried to compromise by making those “photo books” that we can do online, and they are nice, usually. But sometimes the photo quality in them isn’t good at all!

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  5. I share many of your concerns, Ann. While I welcome the smartphones and the Internet in many ways, I rue the dying of old-fashioned letter writing, print books, and yes, photos like we used to have.

    Nowadays, people just spout off on others, filters of compassion and decency discarded, simply because everything can be done so fast, you don’t need and (don’t have) the time to think things through. My kids tell me of endless fights between classmates due to the ease of fast messaging as well as group messaging. What we once might have said in secret, we’re now blabbing out without thinking.

    There’s a lot of the old days that I miss. But I still try to get my way. My emails are still basically letters, and I try to print out my own photos. I don’t do Facebook or Whatsapp. Yes, there’s the ridicule to put up with, but for now, I’m coping🙂

    Liked by 1 person

    • Good for you for sticking to your principles! And I agree about the filters of compassion and decency being very much missed. The ability to instantly respond to anything that “rubs us the wrong way” makes it so easy to lash out and say things that are far better left unsaid. And when we do lash out, all too often we try to justify it by saying “they deserved it.” Honest self-reflection, forgiveness and manners are becoming obsolete, and that is not a good thing for anyone!

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  7. Printing photos is very difficult these days. I used to print my own but haven’t done it for a long time. None of the drug stores offer good printing. So sad. I also like having a good book in my hands to read. Can’t imagine our lives without them.

    Liked by 1 person

    • Honestly, Carolyn, your photos are so good that they deserve to be printed, and it makes me sad to know that it is hard to do that! Why can’t people understand that printing pictures is actually a good thing?
      As for books, I’ll always prefer to them to screens! Thanks for the comment!

      Liked by 1 person

  9. My writing on WP is important to me. Recently, I asked to download my stuff so that I could copy to a CD or hot stick. “Oh sure,” said WP, “just download this app and you’re all set to copy.” 4 hours later following numerous sailor curse words and pulling the last of my hairs on my bald head, I surrendered. Same with digital photography, books, paper billing statements, photos on smart phones – I want to hold the real thing in my hands in front of me. Great post, Ann.

    Liked by 1 person

    • I know! Personally, I still print out a paper copy of my posts to save…just in case. Because if WordPress ever decides to delete my blog (and they can do that any time they want to), I don’t want to lose my posts. They are an expression of what I am thinking and feeling at any given time, so I think I might just want to read them again in the future. We “old fashioned types” need to stick together!

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  10. Ann, you’re wiser than I was at your age, I think. The exploding tech revolution has moved faster than my little brain can keep up with, and I’m not at all sure I’m any better off with what I have adapted to! Some things are inevitable, I guess, but hey, hang tough as long as you can! My first computer was the opening of a Strange New World, and here I am writing a blog 20+ years later. But I’ve done a lot of kicking and screaming along the way!

    Liked by 1 person

    • Thank you! But having read your blog, all I can say is that if I am ever as wise as you, I will count myself lucky. Technology does move forward so quickly that we struggle to keep up, much less hang on to the things that are still precious to us even if they are deemed “obsolete.” As with so many things in this world, the real issues aren’t the ones we are talking about at all. Thanks for your support, it helps!

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  11. When I’m feeling cynical I often wish upon those who are younger than I am that when they turn 40 y.o. may they have everything that they know for sure be changed. We no longer bank, talk, write, interact, photograph, connect in the ways that we did before this onslaught of electronic communications. Younger people have no idea how tiring and disconcerting it is to have one’s life turned ass over teakettle in mid-life all so we can live a faster life… via a machine that thwarts me at every turn. Fortunately I’m not cynical too often.

    Liked by 3 people

    • Oh, understand what you are talking about! Because you are so right, the younger generation grew up with this stuff and has no idea how hard it is for us to have everything we knew and were taught suddenly considered irrelevant, and how hard that is to adjust to and accept. But the truth is, their turn is coming! Which doesn’t give me nearly as much satisfaction as I thought it would. Mostly, I just want to be able to live life on my own terms and stop having all my choices taken away! Thanks for the comment…it helps to know it’s not just me!

      Liked by 1 person

  12. Thank you for such a heartfelt post. You echo my thoughts. I recently posted a quotation from Richard Hooker “Change is not made without inconvenience, even from worse to better” and I am trying to embrace this 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

    • Me too! I know change can be good…and I even embrace some change. But dang, having almost everything I care about suddenly being thought of as hopelessly old fashioned is a hard pill to swallow. Why can’t we keep the best of the old while still embracing the new?

      Liked by 1 person

    • It certainly does! I’m afraid a whole lot of family history is going to be lost in the shuffle. And no one will miss it until it is too late. But I do hope I’m wrong, and that things will work out, one way or another!

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  14. I hear you, Ann. We sometimes get so attached to a routine/person/animal, that is hard to move from it. Though, there are some good things with the change. I find that the online banking is very convenient and fast.

    Liked by 1 person

    • I know, I think the trick is to determine when it is good to adapt to change, and when it is good to stick with what works for us. Someday, we will move to online banking, as that is certainly the way of the future. But I’m still cautious about it, as it is the cause of so much fraud, and it also means that so many people who work for banks are losing their jobs. I truly wish there was a way to move forward without losing the things that are also important. Thanks for the comment, Svet! I always value hearing what you have to say!

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  16. I thought I was the only one who still wrote checks and preferred paper pages in books! I feel like I’m the only one keeping the US Postal Service in business – mailing all those bills back with paper checks!! (it is the least I can do to support the USPS!)

    Liked by 1 person

    • Nope, there are at least two of us! And yes, what will happen if we do everything online? Lots an lots of people out of jobs, that’s what! And how is that a good thing? Thank you for your support!

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  17. I have known people who have lost all their digital photos due to computer failure and the photos weren’t backed up. So they’ve lost all their kids photos, and as we know, online spaces aren’t foolproof either. A real tragedy. I think you are just being sensible, Ann.

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  18. I am a bit late in responding to your thought-provoking post. I read all the comments and your responses above with great interest. I discovered that you are not alone with your opposition to our digital world with too much change in shorter and shorter intervals. Yes, we complain about losing our old and cherished ways of doing things. Yet, every single one of your followers, you and myself included, have wholeheartedly embraced blogging as a way of staying in touch and communicating with friends we would not have without the internet. And with blogging comes a host of other skills all intricately connected with the things we criticize, such as digital photography, printing out our posts, converting digital photos into real old fashioned prints, scanning, sending and receiving emails. Of course, there are still many more changes to come, and we may find it difficult to cope. But over all, you are doing extremely well, Ann.

    Liked by 1 person

    • Thanks, Peter! I am trying my best to cope and adjust to all the new changes. And as you say, some of them (like blogging and the terrific relationships I’ve formed here) are great. I think what bothers me is the lack of choice: it’s going to be online banking, or else. And photos that can only be stored digitally, and the gradual demise of the printed word. It does make me sad, and I’ll admit, a little anxious.
      But as you say, we really are managing to adapt to it all and to find our way in this fast-changing world in which we live. And perhaps the key is to focus on the positive and to figure out ways to incorporate the new into the old? Thanks, as always, for your insightful comment Peter! You give me hope.

      Liked by 1 person

  19. your post is too thought provoking not to give it some attention …
    1. I’m sure that every dog you ever walked was grateful, they just don’t bark in English!
    2. All that dog walking is keeping you fit and healthy without the gym fees and ugly outfits!
    3. Some do digital photo albums and they are great quality … might be worth the adaption?
    4. I honestly wasn’t aware that cheques still existed! I bank online for decades and not lost a cent
    5. Tactile books printed on paper, there are heaps around and I’m part of a circle who read and pass on so that every book is well read!
    6. Writing, it may change format but doubt it will ever be superceded … we will always find like minded readers!
    and I know you are adaptable … so maybe it’s just the actual ageing process and eventual downsize that is really worrying you?
    Great discussion you’ve stimulated but I refuse to be drawn into ‘all changes are overwhelming’ 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

    • Thanks, Kate, for your thoughtful response! I think what bothers me the most is the lack of choices that some of the changes bring. I like the ability to choose what I works best for me, and it seems to me that too many choices are being taken away. As for books and writing, I hope you are right. I do love both so….
      My problem with online banking is that I can’t bank when my internet is down (which happens far too often) and that we have been the victim of hackers several times already with our credit cards, so we’re are definitely gun shy with putting all our financial information online. I do wish that there was a way to guarantee security online since we are being forced (once again, lack of choice) to do everything online these days.
      It might be my age that is showing, who knows? All I can say is I’m trying to adapt, but I honestly do mourn the loss of some of the things I’m giving up! I guess in some ways we are all the result of our individual personalities, and change does come hard to me. It comes….just not easily or quickly. Thanks again for your wise words! They help!

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  20. I woke up to your blog this morning and had my cup of coffee reading through it and the comments.
    I am with you on books! I was in a book store over the weekend and was looking through all the English books (most I have read as most Dutch book stores only carry classics in English) then on a table I saw a book by a Minnesota author I personally know! Her new book was right in front of me and I can’t explain the excitement of seeing it, holding it, and then walking up to the counter to pay for it. All the while wanting to tell the whole bookstore I personally knew the author (I kept that to myself). But, I know for a fact I would not have felt the same way if I had found the book online! I also would not have purchased a digital version. I love the feel of books, the actual escape held in my hands, the fact that I can set it down anywhere with a book mark and then pick it back up without scrolling screens or shutting down programs or waiting for the internet to download. It is our reality that we enjoy and once all of us pass on the new reality of the digital generation will make our ways obsolete. No fear, hold on to our reality for as long as we can.

    Liked by 2 people

    • That’s a good point, and thanks for bringing it up! I think that there is something very real about actual books, and the way we can choose exactly how we interact with them. The more I read the great comments on this post, the more I realize that some of my real issues with these changes is the lack of personal choice. Because you’re right, when we read online, we are at the mercy of our internet connection (which may be good or bad, depending on forces we can’t control) and we lose some of the personal connection we feel in an actual book.
      I also wonder if part of the reason we see so many online “attacks” these days is the fact that when we connect with people online, it doesn’t feel quite real? We certainly see comments left online that would rarely, if ever, be said to someone’s face.
      I’m not really sure, and will have to think of this some more. But one thing I am sure of: I love real books, and always will!!!

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  22. You make some powerful points here. I agree technology although great, is replacing simpler things, things that are enjoyable simply for being simple – like turning pages of a photo album.
    My children’s school are replacing books and blacboards for i-pads and digital boards. How will they learn to write when they’re just typing things? is that something people won’t need to know in the future? Sigh, i wonder how, and what the world will look like in 50 years.

    Liked by 1 person

    • I hate the thought of schools without books…there is just something so wrong about that. And you’re right, how will children learn to actually write when they type everything? Beyond that, when all of our gadgets responding to our voices, will any form of written or typed words be around in the future? Or will we simply talk for everything…… I honestly don’t know! And it does scare me a bit!

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      • I know. All those movies and books about artificial intelligence bots turning against humans sometimes are so creepy. Still, technology has brought us so far from the rock ages – I’m amazed how hard life was for them – how did they live?

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        • Whenever we’re suffering from a heat wave, all I can think about is how did people survive, not only before air-conditioning, but before electricity? Think of dealing with 100 degree temps, high humidity, and not even a fan! I really don’t know how they did it!

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  23. I am the family historian and have all the “boxes” that were passed down. I treasure every photo and some are from over a hundred years ago. Once a year I print our best family photos. Luckily, we have a very good local shop. I also worry about all my digital photos being lost and years of history gone.

    Liked by 1 person

    • Good for you! I have some old family photos, and honestly, they are among my most treasured possessions. I’ll keep printing my photos, along with saving the digitally. I guess that’s called “covering all my bases!” Thanks for the comment, and letting me know that I’m not alone!

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  24. I’m absolutely with you on most of this. I still make scrapbooks and even print out pictures every month to create my calendar (yes! a real paper calendar that hangs on the wall and has everybody’s activities on it!). I spend ridiculous amounts of money on direct-sales companies that sell scrapbooking supplies, but at least I can still get them.

    I will never give up my books, but my literary agent wrote recently in the agency newsletter that book stores are actually on the rise again – most stores opened last year than closed! She also said that the e-book market has been saturated and everyone who was going to switch has switched and a few are returning to paper (for many of the reasons you mentioned). So don’t lose heart!

    Banking, though, I’m all on board with the electronic bill paying. I fought it briefly, but now I’m a believer. I’ve decided to trust the universe and not worry about anyone stealing our meager funds.

    One change I hope does come is that there is less of a need to walk shelter dogs because there are less of them! Sadly, that change is probably still too far off, but I believe it is coming. While there will always be a need for shelters, the endless stream of unwanted dogs can be reduced – it’s a fixable problem. Until it does, though I’m so glad there are people like you who work so hard for the dogs who land in the shelters– truly you save lives by preventing shelter stress and helping dogs prepare for forever families.

    Liked by 2 people

    • Thanks so much for this comment, Cara! I’m so happy to learn that bookstores are on the rise again. There’s nothing wrong with digital books, I just don’t want them to replace real books. I also love to make scrapbooks, and I have given them as gifts that I know are treasured.
      As for online banking, we’ll get there. For one thing, the US mail is really not dependable these days. But our hesitation is due to the long time that we had undependable internet service (no service, no ability to pay bills) and the fact that our credit cards have been hacked more than once, and also the service that processed my husband’s paychecks was hacked which meant we had to change our checking account. It was a huge pain, and my husband said that most of banking fraud revolves around online banking. Once you’ve dealt with it, you will do anything to avoid a repeat of it, trust me! But we’ll get there.
      As for the shelter dogs, I’m in complete agreement. I live for the day when the need isn’t so great, and all dogs have the loving home they deserve. And I am very appreciative of the work you do and all those who foster dogs do to keep homeless dogs out of shelters while they are waiting for their forever homes.
      Again, thanks Cara….your comment cheered me up enormously!

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  25. I so understand how you feel. I absolutely love books, and I have a lot of them. I believe that in Denmark, they buy and receive books as special gifts at Christmas as a tradition. There are a lot of authors there and they appreciate the written word in an actual book. Screen time is not good for your eyes in excess. A book in printed form is a better option. I say option in a positive way; I would hate not having that option. There are still people who write their books out on their boats with an old-fashioned typewriter. It sounds crazy, but typewriters are coming back into vogue again as a novelty! Many writerly types like it! 🙂 I like to think of that saying, “Everything old is new again.” I hope that will be true for photograph albums, scrapbooks, books, and hand-written notes.

    Liked by 1 person

    • Comments like yours give me hope that perhaps we will embrace the new while also saving the best of the old ways. Wouldn’t that be great? E-books are useful for when we travel or live in a place that doesn’t have room to store lots of real books, but they should never replace real books. There is room for both in the world, I think. As for typewriters…how fun! They still represent writing to me!
      Thanks again!!!!

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  26. These are good points. I love real books, but have switched to digital, mostly for convenience. I love that it seems bookstores and typewriters seem to be coming back. I have also noticed that vinyl albums are having a resurgence. Digital music isn’t for everyone either, I guess.

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    • You are the second person to mention that books are making a comeback, and I can’t tell you how much that cheers me up! I think I can handle most of the other change if I can just keep my books and my photos. And where there’s a will, there’s a way…..Thanks so much for your positive comment!

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  27. I so agree, and there are some things that I probably never will changes…like reading actual books. Until just a few years ago, I still wrote checks when paying at the grocery store, and people looked at me like I was crazy:)

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  28. Actual books I’ll never give up although I do read digital books, too. But when I think of photo albums, all I think about is the many albums of my parents that I threw away after they died because I had no idea of who the people in the photos were or the places they were taken. I don’t want the clutter, and I don’t want my kids to have to deal with it. It’s so easy to swipe through phone photos, and they can be sorted into online albums. Guess I’m just a minimalist at heart.

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    • What’s funny is that in most ways, I’m also a minimalist. But when it comes to books and photos, then it’s another story altogether. I think the problem with digital photos is that I don’t trust their permanence. If my computer is hacked or crashes, there go all my photos. Once a photo is printed, it can be scanned into anything and saved both ways. Honestly, I store most of my photos both digitally and in the printed form these days. What the future will bring, time will tell. But I do love prints! (Although, as you point out, they may simply be thrown away by my kids when I’m gone) Thanks for the comment!

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  29. There’s something special about books with binding, handwriting, traditional living. I hear ya. I can tell you that my handwriting has suffered in the last few years because on my typing everything out. Like you, I do think checks will go away. I guess it’s an ever-changing world. Loved this topic.

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    • Thanks, Alan! It is an ever-changing world. I think the problem is that the changes are coming at us so fast these days that it’s hard to keep up. And honestly, sometimes I don’t want to……. I guess balance is the key!

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  30. I will only read real books Ann. From a book shelf.
    I collect them with a passion.
    I have absolutly no interest in reading books electronically.

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    • I’m right there with you, Alan! I did have a Nook, years ago, which I got as a gift. I loaded it with three books and took it on our trip to France with me. And I honestly tried to read the books on it, but it never felt right, and I never finished even of the books on it. Now I only read real books, and I have a ton of them! E-books are okay, just not for me personally.

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  31. I suppose books and cheques and everything else were new-fangled once! People got used to them too. Although not an early adopter, once something is reasonably established online I’ll be in there. In fact, I get quite irritated when online options aren’t available – eg I will change my mind about which restaurant to go to if I have to phone up, hang on, and fight to hear and be heard over the hubbub!

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    • Ha! I also like the ability to make a reservation online, but it doesn’t bother me to call them either. But you are right about everything being new once. I guess all I really want is the ability to choose when changes I embrace, and which ones I reject. Sometimes it feels as if all of this is being forced on me, and I’m nothing if not an independent (and habitual) person! Thanks for the comment, Anabel!

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    • I like the twist you put on that old saying! But yes, there is always going to be a certain amount of change we have to deal with. I just hope I never have to give up my books and photos. Thanks for the comment!

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  33. Right you are. things are changing over the time and we have to flow with it as the life and age is going on without a pause. But being as educated and mature we have to spend the life here in spreading peace and love around and as we believe in death so, we have to prepare ourselves for the Hereafter as well. Hope this will have a click in thoughts!

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  34. Why does change have to be so painful? I don’t think print books will go completely away – I think even a good number of younger people prefer paper to digital – but I like reading both for different reasons. As for the other stuff, I haven’t put a photo album together in years, but I always enjoyed doing them – now it’s just sharing pics on social media, and way too many pics! Great post, Ann. 🙂

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    • Thanks! I’m sure some of my resistance is just my personality, but another part of it is feeling as if choices are being taken away. I would love to see books published in both paper and digital format, and let people make the choice which they prefer. And same with photos…some of us want them printed out and in albums, others are happy to store them digitally. It’s all good! I just don’t like feeling as if my preferences are being eliminated, I guess. But one way or another, we’ll all adjust. Thanks for the comment!

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  35. It’s hard to keep up, Ann. If it’s any consolation, just remember that some obsolete technologies sometimes make a comeback, like vinyl records and turntables, for instance. Who knows, maybe scrabooking will become a huge thing again some day and your photo albums will become a huge hit!

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    • Oh, that does give me hope! I went into a Barnes and Noble store today to look for some books and for some CDs that feature music my 18-month old grandson can dance to. (Currently, he loves my Eric Clapton CD, but I’m thinking that as soon as he is old enough to sing along to the words, “I shot the sherrif” is probably not going to be appropriate. Neither is “cocaine.”). I didn’t find any CDs for him but I did see a whole bunch of vinyl records! So maybe there is hope for my photo albums as well!

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  36. I must admit I’m not great with change either, and perhaps some of that is a control issue where those changes around us are concerned. I find myself far too upset by the supermarket stopping stocking items I’ve been buying for ages, or when my favourite hot chocolate changes its recipe & becomes disgusting. Those smaller things, in the grand scheme of life, I know aren’t helpful to get annoyed with. Whether it’s changes in society due to tech, or changes in the country because of government, it’s not easy to swallow. “Perhaps the time has simply come for me to worry a bit less about the changes around me and have a little more faith in my ability to adapt and cope” < I agree that you need more faith in yourself, a lot of us probably do, that we can face whatever changes come our way and deal with them, for better or worse, while remembering that a lot of change can actually be good (even if we have to squint to find the silver linings).
    Caz xx

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    • Thanks, Chaz! I’m glad to know it’s not just me! It really is quite annoying when the things we love are no longer available, and the change we have to adjust to is not a change for the better, at least in our opinion. But I also believe that we really can adjust….or even find a way to keep the things we value…. and that as you say, there are always silver linings, even if we have to squint! I love that idea, and will be storing it away for future reference. Thanks so much for the comment!

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  37. It sounds like so many of your habits are good ones, so why change? I just got my award for 10 years volunteering at my local airport. Your volunteering job is even more wonderful. We still don’t have any debt or mortgage but I think it might be time for you to consider embracing direct debit – so much easier! 😄

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    • Good for you for ten years of volunteering at the airport! What do you do there? I can think of lots of needed things… And yeah, it’s probably time to think about direct debit for so many of our bills. The problem is that my husband had direct deposit of his pay check (still does), but the bank got hacked when they were processing his pay. Which meant a huge hassle for us as we had to change our checking account, sign up for credit monitoring, etc. So I think that is why we’re so reluctant….. THanks for the comment!

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  39. As an application developer, I spent my career as an agent of change, so for me to reject the new would be somewhat hypocritical. On the other hand, if comfortable old habits were like comfortable shoes, I’d have enough to start a shoe store. I guess the trick is to find that balance between old and new.

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    • Yes, I think balance is the key. Personally, I want to embrace the best of the new and hang on to the best of the old (although I admit that determining between the two is a subjective thing). The change that I resent is the change that takes away my choice and also takes away the things I love best. But that happens to all of us, and all we can do is adjust!

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  40. I’m with you with online banking, which seems to me a terrible idea on several levels. I have a huge struggle every month just to open a paper statement (and then open my eyes and look at it). I did try an e-reader but soon drifted back to paperbacks. I think you are safer on the disappearing books front, as this ‘return’ seems a strong trend. Am now experimenting with drafting posts with pencil and paper, then typing father than writing onscreen. It’s actually no slower that way, and you get the artistic satisfaction of hand writing. Reminds me of school essays. So, the world is going to hell in a handcart, but we must resist…

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    • You know, I used to do that with my college papers back when I typed them on a typewriter. I would write them out by hand first, and then type them out. It did feel more personal, and gave me a chance to “edit” them before I had to hand them in.
      And yes…who wants to actually see our bank statements every time we turn on our computer? Not me, that’s for sure! Sometimes I really do feel as if the world is taking too many turns for the worse, but you’re right: all we can do is resist. And cling to our books with both hands as tightly as we can!

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      • Exactly. With hand writing, I find it helps me because I am impatient, and careless. I was always finding small mistakes in my posts, sometimes months later – missing words, missing letters, clumsy grammar – and having to go in and correct them. Writing by hand is, as you say, another layer of editing. It reminds me of school essays and my early ‘writings’ which couldn’t be typed. I sometimes did three drafts, and put pages of random notes together by cutting into strips, sorting and pasting, then writing the first draft from all these bundles of pasted strips. That’s yet another layer.

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  41. Ah – I totally agree: a world without books, books that you can touch and smell, and hear the pages turning, is unacceptable! Those screens are really straining on the eyes, and as you said, electricity and its production is bad for the environment as well. Also that horror thought of your ebook pad or whatever it’s called being out of energy or getting broke (I don’t think for a second that I could repair that! 😉 ) would just make me so nervous.
    Arrgh! Online banking! My bank tries to press into this as well by lifting charges etc but so far I withstand. 😉
    As to printed photos – I really miss them, but haven’t had mine printed in ages admittedly. Something I always want to get done, and then it’s already a year after the latest holidays… well, you know what I mean. But maybe I should hoard a few photo albums, just to be on the safe side. 😉

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    • I’m glad to know I’m not the only one who is holding out on online banking. I mean, what happens if you really need to pay a bill, but your internet connection is down? And why do we insist on making things so darned easy for hackers? “Put everything online!” sounds great, until we turn on the news and read about yet another major bank, or credit card company, or whatever getting hacked and millions of people having their personal information put at risk…
      I’ll always love real books and I’ll always love actual photos. I’m not sure why, but looking at pictures on a screen just doesn’t feel permanent enough to me. But you’re right that it is a chore to print them, and to store them in albums. So I at least understand why not everyone wants to do that, which is more than I can say for the online banking trend! Thanks for the comment, Sarah!

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  42. I love displaying photos so I totally understand what you mean Ann. And I agree there’s something tangibly comforting about reading an actual book, although having said that I’ve embraced my kindle. I guess I’m learning to go with the flow these days and embrace change. It’s inevitable isn’t it.

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    • Yes, my house is full of photos, and I really do enjoy looking at them. As for your Kindle, I think that’s also a good thing. The way I see it, there’s plenty of room for both real and electronic books in this world, and people can use one or the other….or both! Good to hear from you Miriam!

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