image credit - static.pexels.com
I wanted to make a short post about the decline of traditional skills and activities in our modern world and decided that the best way of doing so would be to actually use one of these under-threat skills!
So here is my hand written post!
source - Daily Mail Online
Ten Skills Considered Essential In Modern Day Life!
1. Searching the net.
2. Using and connecting to Wifi.
3. Using a smartphone.
4. Online banking.
5. Knowing about privacy settings online.
6. Searching and applying for jobs online.
7. Being able to turn water off at the mains. (Strange one for this list :))
8. Using and following a sat-nav.
9. Updating and installing computer programs.
10. Working a tablet.
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What Are Your Thoughts??
Do you agree with me or do you think that I should recognise what century I am in and get with the program? :)
I would love to know, so please indulge me by leaving your thoughts in the comments section below.
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This post will constitute my third of seven posts in the space of ten days as part of the Community Engagement Challenge by @merej99. If you would like to know more about the challenge or support myself and the other entrants taking part then please feel free to visit the challenge post by clicking the link below.
https://steemit.com/challenge/@merej99/putting-my-money-where-my-mouth-is-a-community-challenge
I hope everyone is having an excellent day! :)
I feel "old" sometimes... I still like the handwritten word, and I still write letters by hand to a few select people. And to make it even "worse," I write with old fashioned fountain pens... which most people under the age of 25 don't even know what is. You have quite good penmanship... one of the "arts" that's slowly dying out. Or is it?
One of the interesting things I notice at our small art gallery is the increasing interest in things "done by hand." It's almost as if people (often Gen-X and younger) want to do something other than type or tap on a screen. That gives me a small measure of hope.
On the other hand, a couple of days ago, I had a couple of 17-year olds in the shop, buying an artsy greeting card as a gift and they-- quite literally-- couldn't figure out "money" and ended up having to use a debit card in order to complete the transaction.
It has been a while since I used a fountain pen and a long time since I have written anything by hand which is my excuse for my not so tidy penmanship but I think I am going to start doing a regular post to try and get it back up to scratch. :)
I think artsy people are more likely to appreciate doing things by hand but it appears at least in my country that funding in schools for artsy subjects is being cut and thus less people partaking in art studies which is also a scary thought as the artistic men and women in our society are the ones that are able to see life in a different way and I feel our numbers are dwindling fast.
I hope I am wri=ong though because I don't want my son growing up in a purely technical world! :(
I couldn't resist. LOL
With 2 boys in bootcamp, their only form of communication is through handwritten letters. My god, their handwriting is terrible! It's like chicken scratch. LOL
One thing that I love is playing cards. Uno, poker, cribbage - even solitaire! When my kids were young I used to love when the electricity went out. It gave us a chance to play board games or talk around the lantern. It's good to get unplugged.
With the exception of understanding pounds and ounces or converting them to kilograms, I've always needed a reference. I can do everything else on that list; even change a tire and replace a toilet. LOL
Learning to turn the water main off is pretty important just in case you bust a water pipe and can get a plumber out to fix it. :)
I didn't do as good a job with the post as I would have liked as frustration got the better of me but it is what it is. :)
Thanks for the lovely compliment. Like I said in the post I wish sometimes we could all just slow down a little bit. Everyone's in such a rush nowadays and the more we have the more we want so this rush to the future is a never-ending game of stick or twist in my eyes and one day we are going to bust ourselves.
Why can't we just be happy with the world and settle for what we have now. I'ts pretty good as it is Ithink.! :)
Ever since my boys have joined the Marine Corps, I've been writing letters nearly every day! There is a certain amount of rehabilitation that I have long missed; peace of mind, concentration, mindful thoughts before they're expressed in ink. More people should take up the pen again. I hope my kids continue writing too.
:) I agree @merej99 and hope also that my son will have just as much time and patience for writng by hand in a world where the art seems to be disappearing almost unnoticed.
Sorry for the late reply. I've not been feeling too good (stomach ulcer is reminding me not to take some things so seriously!) and haven't been on much.
Hope everything is going well with the challenge and that you are enjoying a beautifl day!
Handwritten notes are fun (and sadly rare). I am humbled by how many items on the traditional skill list I do not know how to do!
One thing that stuck out for me in your post was the lack of patience. I always considered myself a patient person, but realize that does not apply to technology. I expect it to work right away and get frustrated quickly when things don't work right (or internet speed is slow).
Something to add to this discussion . . . with the speed of technology, and my use of my computer/phone all day, I tend to add more things to my 'to do' list. Ultimately making myself feel overwhelmed < does this happen to anyone else??
Thanks for a great comment @jannell!
I definitely feel the same way as you. I think I'm quite good actually but some people I know don't really know what to do when they get a bit of nfree time with no TV or internet connection. There's almost a look of panic and distress with the subconcious knowledge that if they stay that way for too long they will come to the realisation that much of their time is spent frivolously and no-one wants to come to this realisation . :)
Hope your day is going well my friend!
Aw man, . . . "with no TV or internet connection. There's almost a look of panic and distress" << This is ME. Yikes . . I gotta start shifting some priorities. Truth hurts ;)
:) I haven't watched the TV in years......cos I'm too busy on this damn computer!!! :)
Everything in moderation, so I'm told! :)
Wow Tony.
First off, your handwriting is old-school perfection. I have to admit, the faster I learned to type, the crappier my penmanship has become. "Chicken-scratch" as my mom calls it. If I wrote a post like that, I don't think most people would be able to read it so easily. :-/
That was really nice to see a hand-written post. I agree on a lot of your points, so many skills are being lost, technology controls the younger generations. I have to work with it, they seem to require it to function. I make sure to keep my son occupied with Legos, building things, drawing and coloring, helping me build, and things of that nature to make sure he is capable of those skills in life. He has his "Tablet/Nintendo" time, but I won't let that be the only thing he does.
I myself am restlessly waiting for the day I can move us to somewhere less connected to the modern distractions and return to a more simply way of life. Growing our own food, solar energy from the sun, and well water - the way it should be. Granted we need certain advancements in medical care, etc. But at this point it is becoming too much. I refuse to allow any of the Alexa/Google type devices in the house, and prefer more low-key tech if it's required whenever possible.
edit - I would edit the post and move that first paragraph above the photo - so the image credit is not the preview text to your post in the feed. That's what @merej99 was talking about.
I share your sentiments entirely @steempowerpics and hope to raise my own son the same way. I know he has to be able to use this technology as that is the way the world is going but I also want him to know that it is a choice and that he can also choose to do other fun things as well.
It's a scary thing being a dad but I think it makes you a better man because it makes you think about the world differently and gives you a greater appreciation for your own childhood.
Thanks for your compliment about my handwriting. It's been a long time since I actually, physically wrote something myself other than a shopping list and it used to be a bit neater but I think I might start doing a handwritten post every week to see if I can't get it back up to scratch. :)
The photos were terrible as well so I will have to really work on presenting it a bit better if I do decide to do another. :)
Thanks again for reading and commenting my friend. You are a really good guy and your son is a very lucky boy. :)
Thank s Tony. It's true - it seems like so many decisions are now adjusted to how it would effect our son. It's interesting how the experience changes your priorities and thought process.
I meant to say, if you don't mind me making a recommendation I would suggest checking out @markwhittam. I really enjoy their family posts and you might too. :)
Yes, I am following Mark and their Big Green Steem Machine :-) Thank you.
Wow, your hand must be killing you!
I bake bread every day just about :O)
I want to visit you for bread, beer and company!
Ah the bread would flow like wine!! Or something like that :0D
It really is. I'll no be getting any action the night. :{)
I'm gonny start doin that myself soon.
You got that bed set up yet?? :)
Lol, no, they are sending the fixings pack and I am meant to get it on wednesday!!
Shame the fixings weren't there the other day cos it would be done by now. You've got it to look forward to next weekend now! :{)
Gaaaaar!!!
haha...Yaaaaasss!!
If you're into photography there's a great Scottish photographer just joined @fiftysixnorth. His photos are really fking good! :)
Top notch, I will give him a follow!
Good show!
This post received a 2.57 % upvote thanks to @tonyr . Hail Eris !
Oh no! I only have 3 skills (of 10) for modern day life!
What do I do?
I do have 20 of 20 old skills. Although I do not have a phone to call any of those old numbers, and there is probably no one there anyway.
PS, your camera has a horrible depth of field at the distance you took the pictures. So, I would get a bit further back, and just crop the blank area out. The still need to be shrunk to 618 px wide, so you should have no problems with today's camera megapixels.
Fear not @builderofcastles, one day soon they will surely, finally build one of those time machines they have been talking about and the likes of us can go back where we belong. :)
Thanks for the advice. I know the photos were terrible but that was actually the third set I took and they were the best. :(
My patience ran out. My photography skills do certainly need updating for the modern world. :)
Thanks for your time and comment @builderofcastles.
Hope your day is going well!
Great post! Mental arithmetic is certainly tottering on the brink of extinction. Have you ever tried to convince a young sales assistant with a calculator that two cappuccinos, even at the exorbitant price of 4.10 each, cannot be 20 euro and 80 cents no matter what the little LCD screen says?
Thank you @deirdyweirdy. I am a bit disappointed in it to be honest as it was not very well presented and a lot of what I wanted to say was left out because I grew impatient with not being able to find the words I wanted as well as some other things but I think I got the general point I was trying to make across.
Thanks for the comment.
I only drink tea I'm afraid but I get your point . :)
I think you're being a tad too hard on yourself @tonyr. I think it's eye-catching and original; a great idea. There are so many people writing on similar subjects, not that I'm complaining. Such a lot of fantastic entertainment here on Steemit.
Thank you @deirdyweirdy. I'm hoping to make my handwritten post a weekly thing from now on....my penmanship could do with some improving! :)
Before the internet and computers, I was able to fritter away a lot of time, too! Books -- they are such a distraction, lol. I used to have my nose in a book - a lot! One reason I garden and eat wild plants is to slow down and connect with something real. It also helps me appreciate what people in my own family history, through the history of this country, and through the ages have had to do, like the work they had to do to gather food, and to keep it in good condition over the seasons or when they traveled. But my handwriting was bad from the start - even without the computers, lol!
Best of luck in the Big Community Challenge!
Thank you so much @haphazard-hstead. I would love to have my life arranged in such a way that I could slow myself down a bit but modern life does not want to allow that and unfortunately keeps me a lot busier and distracted than I would like.
I am working towards it though! :)
Thanks for taking the time to read my post and for a lovely comment also.
I hope your day is going well my friend!
You're welcome, @tonyr! Here's to a future where you have only the distractions that you want! :D