Drinking from the Hose

There are many things I see when I drive through my neighborhood. There are always people jogging, walking their dogs, or selling lemonade on the street corner. However, last week I saw two young boys drinking from the garden hose. Of all the things that would bring back memories, it was this. 

I remember when my dad worked outside in the heat; he would always go drink water from the hose. I followed his example when I would play outdoors. My friends and I would all drink from the hose while playing outside. 

It seems like those were simpler times. We were not too good to drink from the hose. We did not require bottled water. We were not scared of what may be in the water coming from the pipes. It must not have been too bad. My dad did it and lived to be ninety. I did it, and at 50, I am still not on any medications. 

We went to the library or used encyclopedias to do research. Today, information is at our fingertips. It is surprising that libraries and bookstores still exist. I hope they never disappear. Technology makes things easier unless it puts you out of a job, which seems to happen more every day.  

My parents scolded me for not calling when I was out later than expected. People always wished that they could contact others instantly. With cell phones, it is almost impossible to hide. The busyness of life makes turning the phone off almost impractical. 

People always want to make things easier. When something new comes around, we must have it. Then after we have had it a while, we complain that life used to be much simpler. 

Someone came into the store the other day and asked for an atlas. Growing up, map reading was necessary for travel. Now we put our trust in the GPS. My GPS has taken me for some interesting turns and sometimes brought me to the wrong place. 

Someone else came to ask a question about a house phone. The other employee asked if I could assist because he had never had one and did not know how they worked. Am I that much of a dinosaur? 

King Solomon wrote, "There is no new thing under the sun”. While the inventions may be new, the motivation remains the same. Let us make things easier. The other thing that remains the same is we find reasons to complain about the new inventions. The book of Philippians tells us to do all things without complaining and disputing. 

How nice would it be with no one complaining? Let us strive for contentment. There are things that need changing. We can implement change without complaining.