Record Stores and Oxford Spectators

As amazing as technology is today, it saddens me that some pleasurable quaint practices are lost forever. Record stores and bookstores are nearly extinct, and I can't think of any other two stores I would rather spend an afternoon in.

Innovation and advanced forms of media are astounding, but I hope that our culture has not lost its taste for precious and wonderful things.

What is replacing things like record stores? tapes and CDs were quickly replaced by mp3's and minuscule cloud files that are purchased through computers, not in a store. Convenient? Yes. But exhilarating? not so much. There's nothing quite so satisfying as walking into a store and purchasing something you've been eagerly anticipating.

I am not wary of new commodities, but I am wary of the mindset that has been overtaking this generation. The mindset that when you want something, you can get it at the tap of a finger. This new mindset has forgotten the beauty of things lost. And this generation has forgotten the beauty of patience and healthy anticipation.

I hope that this generation, that has only had a glimpse of the wonderful things of the past, will stop and recognize that this world is constantly changing around us. I hope we also recognize that we effect the change in the world. We are the generation whose demands the world seeks to please. Change happens through demand and this generation is more demanding than any previous generation. If we can learn to stop and appreciate all that we have, the world might also slow down just enough for us to learn how to enjoy the wonderful little things that don't last forever. Or maybe we could make them last..? Just some food for thought.

P.S. This post was inspired by Dan Fogelberg's album: Never Lands. I highly recommend purchasing this phenomenal album :-).