Instant Xmas Message
by The self-realisation that I am actually middle-aged was made blatantly obvious last Xmas.
Back in my day, nine-year-olds were able to talk to their cousins merely by traipsing through a crossfire blizzard for half an hour to visit them at their house. This was in Scotland in the 1970s where telephones were as rare as the term ’suave’ was common.
No sooner had I pressed ‘publish’ on my previous entry, which aired my perspective on gadgetry, when I was bombarded by technology at every turn, as if being laughed at, pointed at and kicked in the nether-regions by The Devils Hoof. Not being one to believe in coincidences I attempted and am still attempting to discover what all the fuss is about…..and why.
The first ‘techno-oddity’ that I encountered was that the date of publication of thefirst entry to this blog. It states December, 22nd. It was, infact, published very late on the 24th. Even allowing for global timelines there should be no such discrepancy. I haven’t lost any sleep on that one. Two days later, as my kids were messing about with their Xmas presents, I was more than taken aback when I switched on the television to check on the cricket score. Typically, it was an ad break.
Down here in Australia we have become immune to this, amongst other forms of advertising. What I couldn’t swallow was the fact that every single advertisement was for toys! As if parents hadn’t gone out of their way enough for their children and children weren’t already enjoying the festivities, these bright, loud and slick advertisements bombard us in what can only be called ‘inappropriate.’ (Actually, I have a few other words to add but not here). The age-group targeted was to be from 6-10. No secret was made of this as each advertisement hurriedly mentioned it at the end. When it came to the fifth advertisement I gave up on the cricket score. Such a small luxury at a supposedly festive time was blasted from my mind. (Fortunately the game was a walkover and I was only seeking a score to satisfy some deep-seated tradition that I have developed since emigrating here in 1979).
Later on that day I was in for a real eye-opener.
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