Sunday 1 March 2009

Blast From the Past number 2 (see blog dated 23 Jan 2009)

Reasons for Choice

This was the fourth blog I ever did. Written more in hope than anticipation. I think it also shows how limited my technical skills were. I vaguely knew what I was trying to do and I also had no real idea as to the scale of the blogging world. I had no idea as to the talent out there nor how to contact others who had similar aspirations as myself. Ten months later on a scale of one to a hundred I reckon I now understand around twenty per cent of what to do and how to do it. Of which the majority of my new found skills have probably come from fellow bloggers. (Is a female blogger still a fellow blogger in this politically correct age?) I didn't even know how to puncuate/paragraph a blog. (And I still don't know how it works!) It was also yet again a blog that elicited no response whatsoever.

Anyone Out There Wednesday 23rd April 2008

I'm just coming to terms with the fact that I'm now a real live blogger. Only I have to confess that not for the first time in life I don't really know what I'm doing. Not surprising really for someone who still calls the radio a wireless and who thought a mobile phone was supplied with a couple of hundred miles of cable. And who incidentally still doesn't own one never mind knows how to work the things. Now I reckon this aversion to modern technology is definitely genetic. My old granny lived to nearly a hundred but was never au fait with the twentieth century. The family clubbed together and bought her a television which she loved. Only she didn't think much of switches so she watched whatever it was tuned in to. Visitors were for changing channels, but as there was only a choice of two, channels that is not visitors she didn't seem to mind. Though the testcards of days long gone confused her somewhat. 'Normal Service will be Resumed as soon as Possible' appearing periodically on the screen would be received with blank incomprehesion. Plus a visit to next door and the question, "My television says its not working at present, is yours the same?" Endearing eccentricity, though not dangerous which unfortunately was not the case of some of grannies' disregard of twentieth century technology.

Her old fireplace range was a delight to behold on a cold winter's day, her cottage homely and inviting; the fire blazing, the oven awesomely hot. The smell of bread and cakes bewitching, the smell of burning tupperware less so. For granny was inclined to place in the oven any cookware that lay to hand. Believe you me, the smell of melting tupperware is disgustingly unique, its removal from oven surfaces would test the capabilities of any space age cleaners that were yet to be invented." This modern stuffs rubbish," declared granny defiantly. The alarm bells began to ring, figuratively speaking. But grannies' next trick suggested imminent alarm bells of a non figurative nature. Plastic buckets are fine for transporting general household rubbish, not sogood for hot coals. One day granny trooped obliviously through the parlour to the yard outside, oblivious of hot coals littering the lino and peg rugs in her wake; the by now empty bottomless bucket lighter by half. Which signalled the end of one black leaded range, mores the pity, but not for many more years one indefatigable old lady who never really willingly left her Victorian youth. Now I'm sure granny would be proud of me.

Fast forward over fifty years and you have an individual just as out of touch with the 21st century. Light switches, yes, I can just about cope with. Car heaters, no, if the wife is not with me I travel frozen in winter, with the windows open in summer. Washing machines, totally incomprehesible, though some would say there's method in the madness there. I'm not allowed a bank card because the card vanishes after three attempts at getting the number right or I lose the silly things anyway causing panic by everyone except me. I reckon I'm laid back. my wife calls it irresponsible. And there must be other people who have put their library books on top of the car and driven off. Modern living, too modern at times for me. The mechanic at the garage tried to explain that the engine in my car is a rail engine. The only rail engine I knew had a chimney on top and numbers on the side which we avidly collected. Which all adds up to an individual somewhat unsuited to the idea of blogging'with talk of tags and posts and html's. And in a way this is where you came in.

Do you remember in the olden days you went to the pictures, now poshly called the cinema. You saw a main film, plus a second film, plus a newsreel and some adverts. Do you remember entering the cinema half way through the main picture. And you watched the rest of the film, plus the second film, then the newsreel and the adverts. Then the main film again until you got to the bit where you came in. Groundhog Day and all that. So off you went, had some chips and five woodbines and still had change out of five bob. Or so I'm told! If you believe that you believe anything.

And the point of all this you might well ask. That is exactly the point. Is there anyone out there. Week two of my blogging career, life, experience, call it what you will. I look expectantly, hopefully for signs of life on planet blog. A friend encourages by posting the first ever comment. Thanks friend. I'm now told I need some sort of counting device to tell me whose visited planet GrumpyOldKen. The talk is of analytics and I glaze over once again. But maybe we are getting there, time will tell. At least there are worse things I could be doing; honestly?

13 comments:

Linda said...

I loved the tale of your old Gran, Ken. She sounded lovely. They don't make Grans like they used to. Mine was ever so cuddly and not a bit fashionable or trendy like they are today!

Marian Dean said...

Ah Ken, that was a lovely story about your Gran. My great aunt was just the same.

I thought I was keeping up with the modern world but it is fast overtaking me with all these gizmo's coming out every week. I was always stubborn so I carry on trying.

Love your posts
Love Granny

® ♫ The Brit ♪ ® said...

Great Blast from the Past Ken!!
I loved the bit about your Gran being so out of touch with modern things...
and she reminded me of my own Nan who would also curse any new technology with a resounding: "Ohh these new-fangled things! Why do they make them? they never bloody work!!" to which my Father would reply "I think you'll find it's the operator and not the machine that is at fault Mum!"

Keep 'em coming Ken!

Strawberry Jam Anne said...

Great post Ken - what a pity you hadn't been "discovered" in April last year!

I also loved the tale of your Grannie and it brought back some memories of my own, the old range particularly. I remember sitting with my cousins, taking turns with the toasting fork in front of the roaring red fire to make the toast for our tea. A

Annette said...

I love the story about your gran,bless her.
I do not understand computers, I blog but thats it, can't do anything else. I have a mobile phone and have never learned how to text,and I never have it on anyway.
I'm not up to date with anything really,I once left my car up the local shops and then reported it missing.

cheshire wife said...

Life moves so fast these days it is difficult to keep up with technology. We will all be like granny one day.

Mean Mom said...

It's very tempting, as we get older, to stick our heads in the sand and try to ignore new technology. I originally refused to use my 'hand me down' mobile 'phone, but I have recently forced myself to get to grips with it, because so many other things are being linked up with mobiles, nowadays. They are becoming essential, as are computers and access to the internet. If we don't keep up, we may become isolated, I feel.

This was a lovely post and I'm sorry I missed it first time round.

Anonymous said...

Its a brilliant post and I did not read it when it was first posted. I remember 'Saturday Club' in the sixties at the cinema with cartoons, music and the 'serial'....

A Woman Of No Importance said...

Ken, I thought I was already following your blog, and it turns out I wasn't - It just shows how little we get right! I get so far with technical stuff, and then my brain sort of keels over - I master as much as I need, and am not slow with some new things, but then I hit a 'speed bump' and can't get over it!

I love your granny - Visitors were for changing channels and the melting tupperware - Just adorable!

Life was simpler then, 'though, was it not? I wonder if all our time-saving devices have in some ways made life harder, mentally, if you know what I mean?

Robert said...

How you've come on since the days of your 4th post! Soon you'll be rewriting the html code of your blog and change its entire appearance. It'll probably look like the dashboard of an interstellar craft...

...or maybe not...

Grumpy Old Ken said...

Darwen Reporter.
Times they are a'changing.
Love your reports on Darwen. I must go sometime in the old motorhome.

Granny
Thanks. I panic occasionally when I cannot recall something but up to now its only temporary.

The Brit
Your father sounds vert shrewd.
Funnily enough my wife is better at technology than me. And she's younger.

Anne
Happy days in the main! Mind you, we were all very resilient when we were children.

Grumpy Old Ken said...

Annette
Loved your story about the car! I was only slightly older than you when I walked out of teaching. it all seems a long time ago.I cannot use a mobile, never mind text!

cheshire wife
Very true. I am definitely well on the way.

Meam Mom
Thanks.
You are more determined than me. And definitely younger looking at the picture!

Mutley
Thanks for kind words. Must look up your age in a minute, thought you were a mere youngster. (Note how I'm incapable of dioing two things at once re computers!)

Grumpy Old Ken said...

AWONI
Hi
I'm also terrible re this technology thing.
I think things were amazingly 'mental' years ago but you got on with life, no councelling, nothing. We knew no other way.

Robert
Thanks Robert for your kind words but don't forget you may have inbuilt technical aptitudes. One day I'm going to do a second blog and will be looking for advice. IN SIMPLE TERMS what does the bit about the html code mean.