Pastimes Without Power

We are a people dependent on power, electricity. Where I live, in Georgia, we are also  a people plagued by thunder storms and when they hit, no power Now, as adults, we can converse. That is problematic with little ones. But, there are alternatives.

Tint tots will find it a treat if you read their favorite stories or even if you just make up stories. Just be age appropriate. Three year olds may not like The Brothers Grimm, while 10 year olds may love stories with some substance, such as simple science fiction or even some of the Tales of King Arthur.

Another option is games. Many card games are entertaining and simple. Also, you can still find the old fashion board games. Again, just keep them age appropriate.

The real purpose here is to engage children, keep their attention focused on the facr that you are interacting with them in a fun way. Who jnows? They may discover that they like hanging out with you.

Beauty and Fun for Humans

Like most folks, I love books, movies, TV, music, games and sports. I have become a bit disenchanted with modern trends in all 6 of those categories, but, there is no reason to abandon those pastimes.

I am not by nature a very nostalgic person , but I recognise quality. I find present day entertainment lacking in quality but, I tend to think of this as, at most, an annouing trend. By examining the past, I believe we can find a way out of the current sludge that we are fed by the various media and start something of a new era, one not clinging to the past, but rooted there,

Human society is created by building on the past, adapting it to aquired knowledge and producing a synthesis. We seem to currently be trying to completely abandon all past value in an effort to create some kind of new techno-society. In a sense, that is succeeding, but it does not lead to a new beauty, a new quality. Instead, we are creating some sort of mechanical world. The Singularity that people like Ray Kurtzweil babble about may be near and if it is, count me out.

I like entertainment that stresses humanity. The books of Twain and Poe and Dickens, the music of Robert Johnson and Bob Dylan, the movies of John Ford and Robert Altman. I like games where people interact directly with each other, not through game consoles. I like sports where skills other than raw power are valued.

In this blog, I am going to give into nostalgia, a bit, in order to remind folks that there was a time when humans and their stories were of the greatest value. Those of my era may find some pleasure in remembering some of the things I will mention. Those younger may be inspired to look at the past. I hope so because I would hate to see so much of value, so much beauty, lost.