Communication Changes Thanksgiving

So from writing in the dirt to carving on stone, to skin and parchment to paper to ether.

We cooked for 20 family on Thanksgiving this year. We always forget someone and always forget to call another dozen friends to invite. We always have enough food for another 10 and one Sr. adult always has to say "we won't go hungry".

Well as we stand over these tables of food in these humble homes we always feel a bit guilty for the other 7/8ths of the world who are in poverty. As I did the dishes and scraped the plates between courses I was thinking that most of the food left on the plate would be a miracle to most the world. I can't help myself from feeling this year after year. The food, the wine, the fireplaces, the comforts, the conversations and yes now the electronics.

When I grew up, there was an age system. The old men and uncles would sit with some form of beverage and smoke and talk about the country. ALL the adult women would be clearing the tables, properly cleaning the dishes, china, crystal and silver and neatly putting it away as they began prepping for the last dessert course and percolator coffee. Packed in the kitchen they would all have aprons on and would be a-buzz with "family" talk.

That moved to a time of dishwashers. Yes silver and crystal still had to be done by hand but the kitchen time was cut down quite a bit and the women would now move to the living room to talk while the men moved to a family room to watch "football" and drink and smoke less.

Kid's used to be sent outside to play football, basketball, duck duck. Or they were sent to kids rooms to play board games or dolls or army or pool or ping pong or twister or whatever the game de'jour of the year was.

That moved to the age of electronics. "Pong" then the abundance of low rez electronic games played on your black and white or colored TV were the rage. Oh to be able to put spin on the "pong" ball. Oooh, Ahhhh.

Well this thanksgiving I realized things have changed.
I wanted to save on time so I bought a box of Duraflame logs for both my wood burning fireplaces. In six hours I only put in 4 logs total. Two each. Well I'm a wood burning guy. I love that smell and the embers "never" look the same twice, but time was the issue. Boy I saved a lot of time and effort not having to have had to run up and down the stairs every hour to re-stoke the fire and then out to the woodshed to get more wood for the inside wood box. Well at the end of the day I was not happy with myself. Easier yes!, but like using coolwhip instead of fresh whipped cream. No comparison. :(

Then there was the revelation of cooking and cleaning. I found myself in the kitchen doing dishes alone. Not a problem, I kind a like it cause I really don't like a kitchen full of dishes when desserts come due. For some reason in my family after a main meal all the women have decided to stay at the table or go to the living room and chat with a table full of plates and a kitchen full.

I figure it must be some kind of female revolt on holidays. It all will get done, but usually by the host family around 9 or 10pm. I can't do this in my home, and I wouldn't ask my girls to get up and do it, so I'll just dig in and git-r-done with whomever wanders into the kitchen to help and ask if the coffee's done.

It was after the dishes were done and before dessert that I realized Thanksgiving had changed.
I peeked into the living room and there it was. Yup, i grabbed a camera and took the shot above. Not in a kids room, or outside, or in a family room. Not a word being spoken amongst them. There were two of my kids and my niece and nephew sitting tightly together in a room full of talking adults. They were silent. Four kids, Four laptops, Four cellphones.
Surfing, texting and talking on their phones.

What in God's name will Thanksgiving, or any other major holiday look like in 20 years?
Will we call it in? Will our kids invite us online for a holographic holiday conference where we'll eat whatever we "want" from our homes and discuss it online?

Will we all sit in our homes and have online game battles from family to family while we look and talk to each other from the ether?
Will the next generation even know what a #2 pencil was?
Will all china, crystal and silver be replaced with some new beautiful biodegradable eco-ware we just use and throw away with the food where it helps break it down for future fuel?

Well here I am, writing a blog, on a wireless laptop on my bed, cell phone and regular phone next to me, remote control, w/less headphones so I can listen to Hell's Kitchen re-runs while typing and my NIV bible next to my pot of high octane coffee.

I guess I can talk about the problem of the future but really, I guess I am the problem.
Forgive me mom, for trying to teach you how to use a computer at 80. I love your letters with stamps and your special handwriting. I need to shut all this off and go write some letters to my kids now.