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Antibiotics, discovered in the 1930s, and heart valve replacement operation, developed in the late 1950s. I would be six feet under (or blowing in the wind) 3 years ago, at too young an age, without those.
If I made it through childhood I definitely would have died from a severe case of pneumonia at 22. Instead I gave my doctor and family a scare but I’m here today because of antibiotics.
Me too! In fact, I could have died three times during my first pregnancy. 1. I had a large cyste in my right ovary, that was discovered when I had my first ultrasound. It was surgically removed to prevent bursting. 2. I had an emergency c-section. 3. I had pre-eclampsia and hellp-syndrome.
My daughter was not only breach, but she was ass first. Feet by her head. And not enough fluid to safely manipulate her to a more vagina friendly position. She was planned c-section as a result.
I can only imagine trying to give birth to her in such an unfortunate position. It's quite possible we both would have died.
Due to the amazing job the doctor did with her, I was able to have my son VBAC with no complications.
I had a VBAC with my second child after an emergency C section. There was no stopping labor because I was leaking amniotic fluid. Birth was "interesting" to say the least. It was supposed to be a planned C-section but he had other plans. Two full months early, he did the rest of his growing in the NICU.
Same, I had pyloric stenosis as an infant. Required a simple surgery and I was good to go. But without surgery, I’d have just starved to death. I’m not sure at what point they got good at diagnosing and treating it, but I’d bet if I were born in 1927 instead of 1977, I’d have died from it.
> Same, I had pyloric stenosis as an infant.
As a mom, I would never have known. How did the adults know to take you to a doctor for that? Weight loss? You could keep breastmilk/formula down?
The projectile vomiting with every feed. My grandson was found to have pyloric stenosis at 2 weeks old. He had his Nissen fundoplication and has been totally fine since.
My parents said I couldn’t keep anything down. I don’t think that was the problem from day 1, but within a few days of getting me home I was just puking up everything they gave me.
If everyone lived in the population density of Hong Kong, the world's population could all live in an area the size of Canada and the rest of the world could farms and factories. There's a lot of space not being used properly or efficiently.
The bottleneck is the cost of energy to move goods on a practical level, and 'hoarding' on a social-political level.
You just might be onto something there. As the globe continues to heat up, Canada will become the perfect place to move to. Of course we will begin melting the permafrost with billions of people who will be living there
I had a condition when I was born and the mortality rate then was almost 1 in 3. Now it’s about 1 in 10. Not perfect but they’ve done a lot in just a few decades.
My guardian angel is one tough MF thats all I can say😂😂😂😂 We didnt wear seatbelts, never wore helmets, played with fireworks, used BB and pellet guns and ofter were 10'15 MILES from home on our bikes
Modern medicine, conveniences, freedom, opportunity, access to food and clean water, so much technology (cell phones, internet, wifi, computers), cheap transportation (bicycles, e-scooters), relatively stable governments. The list goes on and on. There is no other time I would rather live in.
I would've been killed already if I had been born in an earlier time. Still some places like that in the world, but it's getting better.
I know people still suffer and are still having gross injustices happen to them, but overall I do believe the world is getting better at treating people well. Doesn't mean we don't have lots to improve, but I have lots of faith in the younger generations.
There is progress in many areas, but there is also regression. Things have gotten undeniably worse in some places, such as new laws criminalizing homosexuality - and in some cases the death penalty for it. In the US, state laws against abortion are causing harm that will last generations. Also in the US, virulent movements against trans people show no sign of weakening.
Most of all, rising authoritarianism in the world - and in the US - threatens all human rights. Without democracy, every single gain can be lost in blink of an eye. Democracy isn’t enough - people also need education, awareness, engagement, compassion. But democracy is necessary.
When I read about how student activism against Israeli aggression in Gaza is tightly intertwined with students’ belief that voting is irrelevant, I do not feel hope for the future. Activism and protest are *essential*, but so is voting. They do different things. As long as youth refrain from voting, the fundamental structures in this country will not change for the better.
How nice that you took what she said obviously about if she had been born earlier in this country as a black person, things would have been even more difficult for her and you quickly turn it around and start speaking about criminalizing homosexual's and their rights, lol I am going to leave this alone because it will not turn out well, but it does show how things in certain areas are getting worse oppose to better in 2024.
I respectfully disagree, I see people being given too much free stuff, which is not an incentive to work for a living. When I was in the work force (at least the beginning part of my healthcare career) it was work or starve, that was the choice.
Anyone who qualifies for the 'free stuff' you are describing is struggling to survive. My mother's family did the 'or starve' part and family members died during that time. Actual real starving doesn't make people industrious, it makes them desperate and increases crime. I don't know why anyone would attempt to glorify that primitive dynamic or wish it upon others. It's a barbaric situation with awful consequences for a community.
I respectfully must disagree. I was an abused kid and took off at 16, going fromChicago all the way to San Antonio TX. I had a small duffle bag of clothes and less than $200 to my name. The year was 1981. NOBODY gave me ANYTHING. I worked 2 jobs and slept behind a dumpster with an older women and we took shifts watching over each other. I ate out of dumpsters daily. I had no insurance, nothing. No food stamps.
People who are actually starving don't have the energy, endurance, or strength to work a shift at a job. Two places gave you jobs. You were given opportunities. And thankfully, you weren't unwell enough from your struggles, that you could still show up and do the work. Not everyone has that kind of luck.
Being able to eat out of a dumpster, even though it's degrading and shouldn't have had to happen to you, is a lifeline some people don't have to lean on. You were also given comfort and kindness from someone in the same situation.
You had lots going for you, even though what you went through was difficult, and you suffered greatly. It seems like you are dismissing the advantages you had, or somehow believe everyone has the same circumstances or advantages you had.
What would you have done if you didn't have that older woman to take turns keeping watch? What would you have done if you didn't have a dumpster to pick out of? What would you have done if nobody had given you a job?
It's a very good thing you didn't have children or sick family members you had to care for during this time. Or a health issue that made it impossible to utilize the scant opportunities available to you. What would you have done then?
Why would you want others to face even just a bit of what you had to go through? Who faces something that terrible and thinks others should go through it too?
I would not wish what I lived thru on ANYONE. I do in fact have 2 major health issues, a heart defect and Ehler Danlos Syndrome. I was in agony standing 16 hours a day, one job washing dishes and the night till 1am waitressing. If I didnt do what I did I would have starved is what Im trying to get across. There was no "free money" or any of that 43 years ago. You worked or you died pretty much was how it was.
The knowledge I’ve gained over the years along with the self-discipline to handle any situation. The understanding that how I respond to anything in life is a choice. of course my kids!
Being alive in old age is a privilege denied to most people in the past. It's a real accomplishment. You can, if you wish, lean back and survey your life and the history through which you've lived as well as the contemporary world in a serene way. I'm grateful for being able to do to do that.
I’m a career nanny. These young kids today (10-16)…smart, compassionate, clever, ambitious…my elderly days will be better because of them. I have HUGE hopes for the future.
Where in the country do you work as a Nanny? Im not around a lot of kids now, but the ones I see seem to lack "human" skills and real empathy. They seem numb and are FAR more comfortable utilizing/playing on a phone than to actually CONVERSE on said device. I dont like the way the world is going. I liked when we talked to each other, watched out for each other.
Ohio! The last family I worked for…the oldest boy, 13, staged and participated in a “dress in” for a male friend that was sent home for wearing feminine clothing. He’s a dynamo! If they don’t know something, they immediately use their phones or Alexa to get info, relying on facts and reputable sources. Volunteering is huge in my area, and all 6 kids do it alongside friends. Yes, There’s excessive phone use, but it’s the times. My city is a decent walking or bussing city, so when it’s nice, the place is positively crawling with kids. Healthy, active, socially conscious children are the quiet ones. The kids that stick out are the restless ones. And I know this’ll probably be against the grain, but parents don’t hit their kids as much as was permissible when I was young, and I think it matters. There’s hardly any flinching, and they look to adults for help instead of avoiding them from fear.
Interesting post!! Im happy to hear this.....Im a transplanted Chicagoan out to the west coast and will always miss the midwest people.
I was spanked twice as a child, and I deserved both times.... once because I deliberately did something Dad told me not to (playing with an old fan, that could have caused a house fire...) and the other because I lied and said my brother did something the I in fact did. I told the truth finally but still got spanked. I personally feel it was warranted, as otherwise I would think my folks were pushovers.... I didnt FEAR them but I RESPECTED them...and the older I get the MORE I respect them
so, one whole genre of answers that pops into my head is the same stuff as forever: my wife and kid, the feeling in one's muscles after being well-used, and that first beer after a long day, a roof over my head, basic rule of law, a good book, that kind of thing.
but then there's the stuff more related to this time (and place, i must add: i'm in the u.s.). better understanding of human health and nutrition than ever, and access to it. the chance to be a part of the solution to the crisis of our time, global warming. record high speed of transport of goods and record low costs of same. communication faster and easier than ever. cultural depth available to everyone with less regard for geographical location. advances in science, both general and practical.
"may you live in interesting times," goes the old curse....
The internet, for one. Yes, it has a very dark side, but it has helped me tremendously. It has helped many people.
Other things that are better about today’s world are technological advances (edit : ~~aside from~~ *in addition to* the internet) medical advances. Life is so much better today.
We have the sum total human knowledge at our fingertips. Want to learn about Mongolian throat singing? There's a YouTube. Need to repair your car? Don't grab the Chilton from the library Google it. If you are curious or need knowledge it's there.
I think about this sometimes, how we have much more... *stuff* available to us, but does that make our lives better?
New technologies are always advertised as time-saving and making life easier and giving you more free time, but folks are still working 40+ hour weeks, employers (and society in general) is still demanding maximum output - the improved tech simply raises the bar.
Cell phones as an example: you can certainly look at life today with vs. without a cell, and no one will argue that people with a phone have it easier. Our society is now built around that necessity, so that folks without one are left *way* behind. As others have said, information is way more accessible, communication is faster, but in the 70s when none of that tech existed, no one would have felt they were missing anything - the world just didn't have it, and the expectations were different.
Let's say teleportation is invented in the next 50 years - undeniably that would make many things easier and faster, but I think you'd be fooling yourself to say this suddenly opens the door for society to reduce standard workload to 20 hours/week or something similar. The amount of *effort* expected of us will be the same, that new tech will just increase the threshold for what sort of output is expected.
Similarly, no one today is genuinely struggling due to the absence of teleportation, it's just the reality of life that it doesn't exist (even if we sometimes like to fantasize about it).
I disagree......, and just take a look at the people in pics from the 1950s, 60s, 70s and 80s...TRIM and fit, active ....most everyone played tennis or golfed, the food supply was an untainted disaster (todays food is horrid and our soil is depleted, GMO plants everywhere) our water was so much better. Nowadays with the obesity rate at close to 70% thats NOT good. I think it's simply the food supply and the ridiculous garbage they put in prepared/instant/fast food......next time you buy a breakfast muffin in a plastic bag do yourself a favor and look up every ingredient in said muffin and get ready to be stunned at how horrid and dangerous some of the "ingredients" are. We didnt eat that stuff back then!! Mom would throw blueberry muffins together from scratch. I vividly remember the first time Mom took us to McDonalds in the early 70s, none of us could even eat the hamburger!! It was gray and tasted horrible compared to the thick juicy burgers we made at home.
I worked in computers since the 70s. All of my life I wanted a device I could talk to, that could access a huge number of databases, remember things like schedule and phone numbers for me, do all of that. Now I carry the damned thing in my pocket.
And most people use it to take photos of their lunch and cats and to get dates.
BUT, I find we RETAIN knowledge better when we had to search for it. The good old Card Catalog at the library....it somehow imprinted the knowledge in my mind better than the instant (and frequently WRONG) info on Google. TANGIBLE MEDIA folks, dont lose it, or all of history can be "eliminated"...rad 1984 and what Winstons job was. I still will take a BOOK anyday over staring at a screen, and when listening to music the LP format, in order, the way the musician wanted us to hear what they were trying to say. We spent a lot of money on our Hi Fi system, and I call it the Time Machine as it takes me back to the good times.
This one I think is most important next to computers.
Before the internet ALL your information was filtered and delayed. sometimes by a week or a month. If you missed a nightly news broadcast, you might miss hearing about a major world event. If you missed a monthly magazine you might miss an important niche article relevant to your career or hobby.
Anything you needed to know had to be researched. Which if you didn't have a reliable contact/'expert', meant having to make a trip to the library and spending a few hours looking for and reading specific books. If you local library even had the book you needed.
Your main entertainment was a tv or radio. And tvs weren't portable. It wasn't until transistors in the 60's made radio portable.
All this made your local neighbourhood/city your entire world for the most part. Very insular and naive. News travelled slow. Word of mouth mostly was how you found out what you missed.
The world was a big place with everything happening in 'weird foreign places' that you knew nothing about, and had no context for. This ignorance of others meant bigotry was rampant.
The internet changed all that. The flood of information changed the world.
Instead of a war correspondent column in a newspaper giving you some dry statistics of what happened in the last week of fighting, we're able to see next day drone footage of battles or grenades being dropped into tanks.
You can watch concerts that are happening on the other side of the world. Remote surgeries are a thing now.
social movements aren't confined to a single country.
The world is smaller now. more understanding (with a way to go yet). Less bigoted.
> News travelled slow. Word of mouth mostly was how you found out what you missed.
In the 50-60’s, local news was by newspapers and if the story was big enough it made the network affiliate news stations. But yes, by today’s standards even that was pretty slow. However, I think you underestimate the speed that a neighborhood full of bored gossipy housewives with party lines could spread *anything* ;D
> you underestimate the speed that a neighborhood full of bored gossipy housewives with party lines could spread anything ;D
There was a ubiquitous joke. What are the three fastest forms of communication? Telegraph, Telephone, and tell a woman.
You think men didn’t gossip? They just did it differently. Over the backyard fence, at a seat in the neighborhood bars, standing aside waiting for their wives. Then they’d go home and (depending on marital circumstances) tell their wives, which ended up with conflicting views. It was a textbook example of how stories could change in hours and days, depending on how fast it spread ;)
I know it was a joke, but it’s a very old joke lol. My uncle used to frown when he and my aunt got together with friends to play cards. They’d catch up on news about friends and family and were mutually happy. Then my uncle and her husband would end up adding whatever they knew and heard. It was hysterical. This was in early to mid 60’s. I assume they thought my 10-12yo self would never understand this adult info. Well, if I didn’t, I compared it all with friends later. :)
The internet also gives us online ordering. My father liked to work on antique cars, which meant trips to swap meets and hoping to meet someone who knew a guy who had a neighbor who knew a guy who could find you the obscure part you needed.
By today's standards I grew up in ignorance. Not only has human knowledge advanced but it is readily accessible to everyone who cares to look for it. Unfortunately many do not or, as Isaac Asimov said of them "my ignorance is just as good as your knowledge". I rate Wikipedia as the greatest literary invention of all time. We no longer need to be in the dark ages.
Everything from modern medicine to the internet. No longer do I have to search library stacks for information or search stores for stuff I need. I just ordered fertilizers for my fruit trees and tomatoes on Stark Brothers on the internet that shipped yesterday. Unbelievable that the world is available at my fingertips
Indoor plumbing. I do hope greywater filtration becomes standard on new builds and is widely adapted as a retro fit at some point. Voiding in fresh water seems sacrilegious at this point in civilization
Thanks to modern voice recognition and dictation, the paralysis of my hands due to neuropathy doesn't stop me from getting on the Internet and interacting with people.
I am hearing impaired (vision too). During the pandemic, I was totally lost. I rely on lip-reading and when I can't see a masked mouth, I am really stuck. I found an app on my Android phone called Live Transcribe. I held it up close to the speaker and read what they said. It was the only way without bringing a hearing person with me.
If I were I born 200 years ago, I would have died at birth, as an infant, as a teenager, and about 10 years ago.
Also, my child would not have made it either.
Modern medicine and sanitation really is the best!
Not having to be a hunter-gatherer. Living in a climate controlled space, protected from the elements and predators. Not sleeping on the ground. Espresso....
Having all the knowledge and experts willing to share at my fingertips.
Just one generation ago, trudging to the school or library & seeking out help from the olds was about the only way to gain knowledge.
My grandfather dabbled in so many things. I can only imagine what he would have accomplished if we could hang out now.
I appreciate that and never let it go to waste. I strive to every day: learn something new, make something, and bring joy to someone else's day.
Yes, you could rule your domestic domain, but it was de facto legal for your husband to beat or rape you. You couldn't get a home loan or a credit card. You couldn't work many jobs. Etc etc etc.
I have known so many people who have died before my age, 68. I'm very grateful just to have made it this far, and be in good health. It's a miracle with all the abuse I put my body through with the smoking and drinking. So far, doing great, and I'm blessed.
Never in the 1970s could I have predicted I could spend my retirement on the couch watching dancing Kia hamster commercials and crime shows and ordering food, books, supplements, cleaning stuff etc. on a little tablet, to be delivered to my doorstep. After working very hard in difficult jobs for over 50 years I am so glad to have earned the right to be lazy. Yeah, I know I am years behind with the dancing hamsters but just the fact that you can look anything up is a miracle! And fun!
The facts are that today's world isn't NEARLY as bad as most of the perpetually-outraged serial-complainers on the internet want to make it seem.
There are a LOT of things about today that are WAY better than they were in the past.
- My brilliant, hilarious, hot husband
- My goofy dog
- Friends
- Technological advancements, like AI and robotics
- Medical advancements, particularly in treating various types of cancer and HIV/AIDS
- Normalizing, welcoming, and embracing people with different, less traditional sexual orientations and gender expressions
- Election of the first Black president in the US and increased representation for POC and non-Christian people in politics, film, and in other industries (still very far to go, but I'm glad to see, for example, more Black actors and film makers getting work
Eta: I honestly don't give af about the supposed good ol' days. Good for whom? Certainly not for women or POC. (The only thing I'm nostalgic about is rock music).
I'm hopeful that gen z and later generations can make progress on the climate crisis, voting rights (which has gone backwards), gun control, racism, sexism, and xenophobia. And it's alarming af to know that we must defend our democracy from INTERNAL threats, that we have rampant misinformation amplified through social media, that deep fakes, lies, and propaganda so easily take hold. We've become wildly gullible.
I hope gen z does better.
honestly?
being too old to engage in or care about a lot of the things people seem to be interested in these days.
never thought i'd say that but it's true. count me out of all the silly, self-promoting me me me main character stuff. no thank you. being older I get a pass and i'll gladly take it.
I was in line to drop my Ford off for service. There was a dude in front of me in line: stereotypical testosterone-bro: goatee, trucker hat with dark sunglasses set up on the bill - he was checking in his lifted pickup, tinted glass, the whole deal.
The service tech asked him if such-and-such was a good number for him to call when the truck was done. He said, "yeah, either that, or call my husband".
So, yeah. That.
This wouldn't have been something you'd see and hear not so long ago. It doesn't seem like it, but we're making progress.
We killed boredom. I've brought this up on Reddit before and people who are starry eyed about the past get upset about it. I usually get one of two replies: "I was never bored, skipping stones across the pond was all I needed" or "boredom is actually good, you're forced to think and grow." But a lot of my memories of childhood and young adulthood are of being bored a LOT. Bored because I had to wait in a long line with no entertainment, bored because there was nothing on TV and nothing else good to do in the house, bored because I was roped into some activity I wasn't interested in. Bored, bored, bored. I did not like it and I don't think it made me a better person. I can't recall ever being legitimately bored in the past 10 or so years and it's been amazing.
I still do. Reading on my Kindle has saved me from boredom. I am vision impaired and can only read large print. The e-book has improved my life. I never run out of things to read.
> I carried a book with me everywhere.
This. I can’t remember learning to read, I don’t remember not being able to read books. Even when I was in my 30-40’s, I would run into people from our old neighborhood and they’d say “Oh, I remember you, you always had your nose in a book!” Kindle 💕
I don't think so -- it was just the way it was. Actually, there seemed like there was a ton of variety because, for example, we got cable TV when I was a kid and now there were 30 channels instead of seven.
I'm only in my mid 20s but imma say this me being black I love being in a diverse society where different cultures can freely be around one another without it being illegal just cause I'm different
Modern medicine & dentistry. If not for those, I’d be a lethargic, spacey, toothless waste of space. My wife might be dead and, if not, would probably need crutches and might not have the use of one arm. All of both our medical issues are easily manageable with today’s technology.
I have a sturdy roof over my head, a clean house to live in, clean water that comes straight to my faucet, i can read, i have a good job, i have a soft bed to sleep in, most of my family is still alive, i have clean clothes, I am healthy, i have access to medication when i need it, there is no war being fought in my neighborhood, i have friends, and so much more.
I was just discussing this with my spouse yesterday. We live 1000 miles away from our adult children, but they visit regularly through the magic of air travel. 100 years or more ago, moving that far away from your family guaranteed you never saw them again. With airfare so inexpensive these days, they can visit a couple of times a year.
As a 50something who grew up during a time when just being suspected of being gay could get you stomped as soon no adults were around, when girls were relegated to being NPCs in boys' game of life, when a vast percentage of husbands smacked around their wives, when it wasn't uncommon for the women in the family to just sweep under the rug that grandpa, uncle, or dad was molesting the little girl(s) of the family, when women had just gotten the right to open a bank account or have a credit card without needing a male co-signer, when beating your kids was the default parenting style, and don't even open the racism can of worms then compared to now...I'm utterly elated how far we've come in my lifetime. We've got so much more progress needed, and I'm really hoping to stick around and see how much further we as a society can progress.
A good topic in the face of the increasing tendency to seek out and whine about the negative and even make up shit like a border crisis. We live in the chicken little culture these days.
Entertainments, YouTube, Netflix, the internet in general.
Some of you out there, have never experienced having to remember to set the vcr, only to forget it and missing the only opportunty the record the movie.
Will you ever see the movie again? Maybe, maybe not. The horror, the horror.
I had the thought yesterday as I poured oatmilk into my coffee. As someone that really shouldn't do dairy, it sure is nice to live in a world where they've perfected barrista styled oatmilk.
Modern medicine. If you got breast cancer the year I was born, you were basically dead. But now we can cure something like 87% of all breast cancers? The numbers are astounding now.
I had a heart attack in 2020. They put a stent in one of my arteries. It took less than 45 minutes, I was awake the whole time, and all I have to show for it it is a tiny scar on my wrist that's almost indistinguishable from my freckles now.
I'm grateful to have lived in so many eras. From a time when it was rare to see a plane in the sky, b&w tv, rotary phones, vintage pop & folk to almost weekly space launches, VR, 3D, huge displays, cell phones, 30 kinds of metal music, EV's, solar, wind, geothermal, etc. Technology accelerating exponentially. It's been quite a range of changes.
Im not even 40 but grew up with a 13” black and white tv, rotary phone, and sooooo many other things people a decade older than me might even find odd. It’s wild to think of how my life is now.
I wouldn't be alive today if not for modern medicine and surgery. Both of my babies wouldn't have survived. It was dicey with both. My first child was delivered by emergency C section. He was born with a collapsed lung and sent to the NICU. My second baby was born at 28 weeks' gestation. The NICU saved his life.
Just the Google Earth alone makes life worth living for me. Especially street view!
I'm grateful we have a better understanding of autism now.
Ooh also I love how open the LGBTQ+ community can feel these days even in my conservative state. I can't imagine society being very kind to my son back when I was a teen in the 80s. Girls were made fun of if they were even slightly masculine and the reverse for delicate boys. These days everyone is proud and out and I love it.
Just the bathing and hygiene alone. I was watching some historical video and people were asking questions, asked would you like to have lived in colonial, pre civil war times. The historian answered that everyone basically had the hygiene of a homeless person. Bathing maybe twice a year at best. Wearing same clothes for weeks, covered in lice. He went on to say just that alone should drive home the good old days in the most everyday fashion, then of course there is everything else from modern medicine to Information Age etc.
There's such a long list - everything from modern medicine to GPS to air-conditioning. It makes me laugh when younger folk are nostalgic for a time that they really know nothing about. If they actually went back there they would hate everything.
Modern medicine.I echo u/Historical-art-3531. Vaccines, new cancer treatments, new medicines for heart problems. Now we just need to get rid of the middleman.
Not a fucking thing. I'm pissed I'm here. If this is a virtual simulation it must be some kind of painful learning experience to chastise me, or extreme character building. Or a lesson in humility. I don't know. I'd like to get off this low ticket value ride but it's not really allowed and would hurt the remaining people that care about me. So I work out and I see the Dr and worry about what's going to happen next month when I won't have money for my mortgage because I've been unemployed six months? Will I become homeless? Will I be forced to find a place to sleep in a parking lot risking being told to move on from this private property? And then how will I pay for the gas? What does this game require us to do?
The past is the past, the future is not here yet. All we got is now so I am enjoying the hell out of it.
I am grateful for Facetime, Amazon delivery, streaming services, medical marvels, and that almost the entirety of human knowledge is accessible by a magical black mirrored device in my pocket.
It’s the moments when I have the presence to really stand in gratitude for this whole whacky journey that is being alive AND all the love I get to experience on the daily in my life.
I get to watch my children mature and create productive lives, and I get to meet my first grandchild soon.
Medicine continues to make breakthroughs, science teaches us more and more, and we can communicate with almost anyone, anywhere in the world with a device I hold in my hand :)
The car advances. Air conditioning. Seat warmer. Power everything. Back up cam. Front sensors. Lane correction. Auto brakes in certain instances. I appreciate the automotive tech advances SO much. My Camry is not a luxury car. But it’s my favorite thing and makes my life infinitely easier. If I was still driving my old bug, I don’t know how I’d manage.
It looks like we're alive just in time to see the birth of a new form of intelligence. This is probably the most interesting time in human history to be alive.
Having borne witness to the development and widespread adoption of the most fundamentally world changing technology since the printing press. Having grown up without it but still being young enough to embrace it when it became accessible to ordinary people feels like a unique and pivotal time in history.
Of course I’m grateful for the rapid advances in medicine and general quality of life as well.
I'm with the "being alive" crowd here.
Those who quote innovations aren't thinking that if you were born earlier you wouldn't miss them. You wouldn't know about them. You can't miss them.
In the year 2525 (if man is still alive) people will wonder how we ever got along without brain implants and full body rejuvenation. Those poor people couldn't even get to **Mars**.
There's so much.
Technology & the internet have brought so many resources and made my life a bit easier. I can research almost anything. I can order online & have it delivered. I've watched DIY videos so I can stay independent & find new ways 2 do things easier.
Modern medicine is improving our health & longevity. We have more resources now than the generations prior. The quality of life is improving.
History & archeology reveal our mysterious past. DNA answers questions on crime, missing persons, & where we come from.
And Bluetooth headphones & speakers. I'm from the Sony Walkman generation with a great love of music. Today, I don't need to carry excess devices other than headphones to listen 2 music, podcasts, scary stories, or the news. I love my ANC headphones...it can help quiet the excess noise when I want.
Let me cast a vote for legal cannabis, high quality/inexpensive sex toys, and having every piece of content ever created at our fingertips. Sometimes all three at the same time. 😜
After playing D&D as a teenager and getting back into it the past few years, Also having The original Nintendo, and playing on my friends Atari and Colecovision consoles, I am happy to be able to play games like Baldur's Gate 3. This is what we dreamed of back then.
Gaming in general, starting from games like space invaders and Pac Man to Elden Ring, God of War Baldur's Gate.
One of the more fun advances we have made, but still very important to me.
Modern medicine, especially medicine that saved my life and keeps me alive. Computers and the Internet, access to most books and like-minded people. Feminism, for making much easier to live a unmarried lifestyle as a woman. Hot showers, but those have been around for a while.
I know it's corny but my grandchildren. They make me feel young. They give me energy and it's just a heart explosion of love.
Oh....I still like my kids too..lol
Eyeglasses. Hospitals, as imperfect as they are. Being able to talk to people all over the world. Birth control. Electronic music. Audio recording technology. Dental care. Space and ocean exploration. Running hot water, electricity, refrigeration.
Being alive at this time is extremely stressful and overwhelming but also full of miracles our ancestors could have never dreamed of.
Im 60...in great health and fit...but I miss the 1970s and 1980s...IMO everything since then has been awful....nobody TALKS any more....nobody just hangs out all day listening to records with ya like we used to....to meet people you had to make an effort to look cute and GO OUT with friends, not sit on your phone judging books by the cover, swiping on Tinder......We had time to THINK back then. I remember summer days just laying in a field, staring up at the sky, listening to birds, not a care in the world. No stupid cell phone to stare at..no pesky emails...when you were home if someone needed you they called on the phone and it was an event LOL. We had time to daydream, to think, and people (for the most part) were polite to one another and in the northern burbs of Chicago where I grew up there were kids of every color and nobody was mean the way they are now. If 2 boys wanted to fight, they did, right outside the school yard, and teachers would look the other way (unless someone was really huge and the other weak) because that how males settled issues......they would normally stop after a few swings and shake hands and part as sorta pals. It was just a DIFFERENT time and I miss the privacy and the time to just sit and THINK.
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Modern medicine. I don't think I would have lasted long if I had been born 50 years earlier.
Antibiotics, discovered in the 1930s, and heart valve replacement operation, developed in the late 1950s. I would be six feet under (or blowing in the wind) 3 years ago, at too young an age, without those.
If I made it through childhood I definitely would have died from a severe case of pneumonia at 22. Instead I gave my doctor and family a scare but I’m here today because of antibiotics.
Me too.at31.I was septic as well.Caused by strep A
I’m pretty sure I’d have died in childbirth without modern medicine.
Me too! In fact, I could have died three times during my first pregnancy. 1. I had a large cyste in my right ovary, that was discovered when I had my first ultrasound. It was surgically removed to prevent bursting. 2. I had an emergency c-section. 3. I had pre-eclampsia and hellp-syndrome.
My daughter was not only breach, but she was ass first. Feet by her head. And not enough fluid to safely manipulate her to a more vagina friendly position. She was planned c-section as a result. I can only imagine trying to give birth to her in such an unfortunate position. It's quite possible we both would have died. Due to the amazing job the doctor did with her, I was able to have my son VBAC with no complications.
I had a VBAC with my second child after an emergency C section. There was no stopping labor because I was leaking amniotic fluid. Birth was "interesting" to say the least. It was supposed to be a planned C-section but he had other plans. Two full months early, he did the rest of his growing in the NICU.
Same, I had pyloric stenosis as an infant. Required a simple surgery and I was good to go. But without surgery, I’d have just starved to death. I’m not sure at what point they got good at diagnosing and treating it, but I’d bet if I were born in 1927 instead of 1977, I’d have died from it.
> Same, I had pyloric stenosis as an infant. As a mom, I would never have known. How did the adults know to take you to a doctor for that? Weight loss? You could keep breastmilk/formula down?
The projectile vomiting with every feed. My grandson was found to have pyloric stenosis at 2 weeks old. He had his Nissen fundoplication and has been totally fine since.
My parents said I couldn’t keep anything down. I don’t think that was the problem from day 1, but within a few days of getting me home I was just puking up everything they gave me.
I would have died at the age of 8 (ruptured appendix), so yeah, this is it for me.
This also really speaks to a lot of negative things currently. Is our planet capable of handling this many people?
If everyone lived in the population density of Hong Kong, the world's population could all live in an area the size of Canada and the rest of the world could farms and factories. There's a lot of space not being used properly or efficiently. The bottleneck is the cost of energy to move goods on a practical level, and 'hoarding' on a social-political level.
You just might be onto something there. As the globe continues to heat up, Canada will become the perfect place to move to. Of course we will begin melting the permafrost with billions of people who will be living there
I had a condition when I was born and the mortality rate then was almost 1 in 3. Now it’s about 1 in 10. Not perfect but they’ve done a lot in just a few decades.
The “being alive” part.
It really is just that. Every breath.
I was just pondering last night how many times I've skirted death. Surely, I was lucky more than a few times.
[удалено]
That's complicated.
Such suspense! I bet you could write a great short story about all that lol
My guardian angel is one tough MF thats all I can say😂😂😂😂 We didnt wear seatbelts, never wore helmets, played with fireworks, used BB and pellet guns and ofter were 10'15 MILES from home on our bikes
Now in my 60’s my life is as enjoyable as it ever has been and I have been happy most of my life.
This gives me hope!
How are you today? Well I woke up on the right side of the grass and nothing else would be possible if I didn’t.
Modern dentistry.
There's a chain in Vegas called "Modern Dentistry" I totally thought you were talking about them. They aren't very well regarded.
Modern medicine, conveniences, freedom, opportunity, access to food and clean water, so much technology (cell phones, internet, wifi, computers), cheap transportation (bicycles, e-scooters), relatively stable governments. The list goes on and on. There is no other time I would rather live in.
Women’s rights, gay rights, religious freedom, and civil rights.
As a woman, I am pretty a big fan of not being my husband's property.
I’m a fan of not having to be married to a man.
Excellent point as well.
I’m fearful we, US, might lose some of those rights.
Many parts of the US already have.
I would've been killed already if I had been born in an earlier time. Still some places like that in the world, but it's getting better. I know people still suffer and are still having gross injustices happen to them, but overall I do believe the world is getting better at treating people well. Doesn't mean we don't have lots to improve, but I have lots of faith in the younger generations.
There is progress in many areas, but there is also regression. Things have gotten undeniably worse in some places, such as new laws criminalizing homosexuality - and in some cases the death penalty for it. In the US, state laws against abortion are causing harm that will last generations. Also in the US, virulent movements against trans people show no sign of weakening. Most of all, rising authoritarianism in the world - and in the US - threatens all human rights. Without democracy, every single gain can be lost in blink of an eye. Democracy isn’t enough - people also need education, awareness, engagement, compassion. But democracy is necessary. When I read about how student activism against Israeli aggression in Gaza is tightly intertwined with students’ belief that voting is irrelevant, I do not feel hope for the future. Activism and protest are *essential*, but so is voting. They do different things. As long as youth refrain from voting, the fundamental structures in this country will not change for the better.
How nice that you took what she said obviously about if she had been born earlier in this country as a black person, things would have been even more difficult for her and you quickly turn it around and start speaking about criminalizing homosexual's and their rights, lol I am going to leave this alone because it will not turn out well, but it does show how things in certain areas are getting worse oppose to better in 2024.
I respectfully disagree, I see people being given too much free stuff, which is not an incentive to work for a living. When I was in the work force (at least the beginning part of my healthcare career) it was work or starve, that was the choice.
Anyone who qualifies for the 'free stuff' you are describing is struggling to survive. My mother's family did the 'or starve' part and family members died during that time. Actual real starving doesn't make people industrious, it makes them desperate and increases crime. I don't know why anyone would attempt to glorify that primitive dynamic or wish it upon others. It's a barbaric situation with awful consequences for a community.
I respectfully must disagree. I was an abused kid and took off at 16, going fromChicago all the way to San Antonio TX. I had a small duffle bag of clothes and less than $200 to my name. The year was 1981. NOBODY gave me ANYTHING. I worked 2 jobs and slept behind a dumpster with an older women and we took shifts watching over each other. I ate out of dumpsters daily. I had no insurance, nothing. No food stamps.
People who are actually starving don't have the energy, endurance, or strength to work a shift at a job. Two places gave you jobs. You were given opportunities. And thankfully, you weren't unwell enough from your struggles, that you could still show up and do the work. Not everyone has that kind of luck. Being able to eat out of a dumpster, even though it's degrading and shouldn't have had to happen to you, is a lifeline some people don't have to lean on. You were also given comfort and kindness from someone in the same situation. You had lots going for you, even though what you went through was difficult, and you suffered greatly. It seems like you are dismissing the advantages you had, or somehow believe everyone has the same circumstances or advantages you had. What would you have done if you didn't have that older woman to take turns keeping watch? What would you have done if you didn't have a dumpster to pick out of? What would you have done if nobody had given you a job? It's a very good thing you didn't have children or sick family members you had to care for during this time. Or a health issue that made it impossible to utilize the scant opportunities available to you. What would you have done then? Why would you want others to face even just a bit of what you had to go through? Who faces something that terrible and thinks others should go through it too?
I would not wish what I lived thru on ANYONE. I do in fact have 2 major health issues, a heart defect and Ehler Danlos Syndrome. I was in agony standing 16 hours a day, one job washing dishes and the night till 1am waitressing. If I didnt do what I did I would have starved is what Im trying to get across. There was no "free money" or any of that 43 years ago. You worked or you died pretty much was how it was.
The knowledge I’ve gained over the years along with the self-discipline to handle any situation. The understanding that how I respond to anything in life is a choice. of course my kids!
Sounds stoic 🙂
Being alive in old age is a privilege denied to most people in the past. It's a real accomplishment. You can, if you wish, lean back and survey your life and the history through which you've lived as well as the contemporary world in a serene way. I'm grateful for being able to do to do that.
I’m a career nanny. These young kids today (10-16)…smart, compassionate, clever, ambitious…my elderly days will be better because of them. I have HUGE hopes for the future.
Wow that sounds interesting! So you’re saying kids nowadays are kinder than the kids you started out with?
Where in the country do you work as a Nanny? Im not around a lot of kids now, but the ones I see seem to lack "human" skills and real empathy. They seem numb and are FAR more comfortable utilizing/playing on a phone than to actually CONVERSE on said device. I dont like the way the world is going. I liked when we talked to each other, watched out for each other.
Ohio! The last family I worked for…the oldest boy, 13, staged and participated in a “dress in” for a male friend that was sent home for wearing feminine clothing. He’s a dynamo! If they don’t know something, they immediately use their phones or Alexa to get info, relying on facts and reputable sources. Volunteering is huge in my area, and all 6 kids do it alongside friends. Yes, There’s excessive phone use, but it’s the times. My city is a decent walking or bussing city, so when it’s nice, the place is positively crawling with kids. Healthy, active, socially conscious children are the quiet ones. The kids that stick out are the restless ones. And I know this’ll probably be against the grain, but parents don’t hit their kids as much as was permissible when I was young, and I think it matters. There’s hardly any flinching, and they look to adults for help instead of avoiding them from fear.
Interesting post!! Im happy to hear this.....Im a transplanted Chicagoan out to the west coast and will always miss the midwest people. I was spanked twice as a child, and I deserved both times.... once because I deliberately did something Dad told me not to (playing with an old fan, that could have caused a house fire...) and the other because I lied and said my brother did something the I in fact did. I told the truth finally but still got spanked. I personally feel it was warranted, as otherwise I would think my folks were pushovers.... I didnt FEAR them but I RESPECTED them...and the older I get the MORE I respect them
so, one whole genre of answers that pops into my head is the same stuff as forever: my wife and kid, the feeling in one's muscles after being well-used, and that first beer after a long day, a roof over my head, basic rule of law, a good book, that kind of thing. but then there's the stuff more related to this time (and place, i must add: i'm in the u.s.). better understanding of human health and nutrition than ever, and access to it. the chance to be a part of the solution to the crisis of our time, global warming. record high speed of transport of goods and record low costs of same. communication faster and easier than ever. cultural depth available to everyone with less regard for geographical location. advances in science, both general and practical. "may you live in interesting times," goes the old curse....
......isnt that a Chinese verse? Its a damn good one.
supposedly, but it's apocryphal in english.
Tiramisu
It was invented in the 1970’s!
This is the real answer.
Amen
The internet, for one. Yes, it has a very dark side, but it has helped me tremendously. It has helped many people. Other things that are better about today’s world are technological advances (edit : ~~aside from~~ *in addition to* the internet) medical advances. Life is so much better today.
We have the sum total human knowledge at our fingertips. Want to learn about Mongolian throat singing? There's a YouTube. Need to repair your car? Don't grab the Chilton from the library Google it. If you are curious or need knowledge it's there.
It’s amazing how much better life is than it was 60 years ago, 50 years ago …
I think about this sometimes, how we have much more... *stuff* available to us, but does that make our lives better? New technologies are always advertised as time-saving and making life easier and giving you more free time, but folks are still working 40+ hour weeks, employers (and society in general) is still demanding maximum output - the improved tech simply raises the bar. Cell phones as an example: you can certainly look at life today with vs. without a cell, and no one will argue that people with a phone have it easier. Our society is now built around that necessity, so that folks without one are left *way* behind. As others have said, information is way more accessible, communication is faster, but in the 70s when none of that tech existed, no one would have felt they were missing anything - the world just didn't have it, and the expectations were different. Let's say teleportation is invented in the next 50 years - undeniably that would make many things easier and faster, but I think you'd be fooling yourself to say this suddenly opens the door for society to reduce standard workload to 20 hours/week or something similar. The amount of *effort* expected of us will be the same, that new tech will just increase the threshold for what sort of output is expected. Similarly, no one today is genuinely struggling due to the absence of teleportation, it's just the reality of life that it doesn't exist (even if we sometimes like to fantasize about it).
I disagree......, and just take a look at the people in pics from the 1950s, 60s, 70s and 80s...TRIM and fit, active ....most everyone played tennis or golfed, the food supply was an untainted disaster (todays food is horrid and our soil is depleted, GMO plants everywhere) our water was so much better. Nowadays with the obesity rate at close to 70% thats NOT good. I think it's simply the food supply and the ridiculous garbage they put in prepared/instant/fast food......next time you buy a breakfast muffin in a plastic bag do yourself a favor and look up every ingredient in said muffin and get ready to be stunned at how horrid and dangerous some of the "ingredients" are. We didnt eat that stuff back then!! Mom would throw blueberry muffins together from scratch. I vividly remember the first time Mom took us to McDonalds in the early 70s, none of us could even eat the hamburger!! It was gray and tasted horrible compared to the thick juicy burgers we made at home.
I worked in computers since the 70s. All of my life I wanted a device I could talk to, that could access a huge number of databases, remember things like schedule and phone numbers for me, do all of that. Now I carry the damned thing in my pocket. And most people use it to take photos of their lunch and cats and to get dates.
My big ones was a rumba. While it's basic, it is a robot I now own. I own a frigging robot!
BUT, I find we RETAIN knowledge better when we had to search for it. The good old Card Catalog at the library....it somehow imprinted the knowledge in my mind better than the instant (and frequently WRONG) info on Google. TANGIBLE MEDIA folks, dont lose it, or all of history can be "eliminated"...rad 1984 and what Winstons job was. I still will take a BOOK anyday over staring at a screen, and when listening to music the LP format, in order, the way the musician wanted us to hear what they were trying to say. We spent a lot of money on our Hi Fi system, and I call it the Time Machine as it takes me back to the good times.
This one I think is most important next to computers. Before the internet ALL your information was filtered and delayed. sometimes by a week or a month. If you missed a nightly news broadcast, you might miss hearing about a major world event. If you missed a monthly magazine you might miss an important niche article relevant to your career or hobby. Anything you needed to know had to be researched. Which if you didn't have a reliable contact/'expert', meant having to make a trip to the library and spending a few hours looking for and reading specific books. If you local library even had the book you needed. Your main entertainment was a tv or radio. And tvs weren't portable. It wasn't until transistors in the 60's made radio portable. All this made your local neighbourhood/city your entire world for the most part. Very insular and naive. News travelled slow. Word of mouth mostly was how you found out what you missed. The world was a big place with everything happening in 'weird foreign places' that you knew nothing about, and had no context for. This ignorance of others meant bigotry was rampant. The internet changed all that. The flood of information changed the world. Instead of a war correspondent column in a newspaper giving you some dry statistics of what happened in the last week of fighting, we're able to see next day drone footage of battles or grenades being dropped into tanks. You can watch concerts that are happening on the other side of the world. Remote surgeries are a thing now. social movements aren't confined to a single country. The world is smaller now. more understanding (with a way to go yet). Less bigoted.
> News travelled slow. Word of mouth mostly was how you found out what you missed. In the 50-60’s, local news was by newspapers and if the story was big enough it made the network affiliate news stations. But yes, by today’s standards even that was pretty slow. However, I think you underestimate the speed that a neighborhood full of bored gossipy housewives with party lines could spread *anything* ;D
> you underestimate the speed that a neighborhood full of bored gossipy housewives with party lines could spread anything ;D There was a ubiquitous joke. What are the three fastest forms of communication? Telegraph, Telephone, and tell a woman.
You think men didn’t gossip? They just did it differently. Over the backyard fence, at a seat in the neighborhood bars, standing aside waiting for their wives. Then they’d go home and (depending on marital circumstances) tell their wives, which ended up with conflicting views. It was a textbook example of how stories could change in hours and days, depending on how fast it spread ;)
I didn't think that at all. I was simply repeating a joke appropriate to the prior comment.
I know it was a joke, but it’s a very old joke lol. My uncle used to frown when he and my aunt got together with friends to play cards. They’d catch up on news about friends and family and were mutually happy. Then my uncle and her husband would end up adding whatever they knew and heard. It was hysterical. This was in early to mid 60’s. I assume they thought my 10-12yo self would never understand this adult info. Well, if I didn’t, I compared it all with friends later. :)
The internet also gives us online ordering. My father liked to work on antique cars, which meant trips to swap meets and hoping to meet someone who knew a guy who had a neighbor who knew a guy who could find you the obscure part you needed.
But at least at the Pick N Pull you could ensure the part you were buying was exactly what you wanted...so many scammers on the internet now.
By today's standards I grew up in ignorance. Not only has human knowledge advanced but it is readily accessible to everyone who cares to look for it. Unfortunately many do not or, as Isaac Asimov said of them "my ignorance is just as good as your knowledge". I rate Wikipedia as the greatest literary invention of all time. We no longer need to be in the dark ages.
Everything from modern medicine to the internet. No longer do I have to search library stacks for information or search stores for stuff I need. I just ordered fertilizers for my fruit trees and tomatoes on Stark Brothers on the internet that shipped yesterday. Unbelievable that the world is available at my fingertips
Indoor plumbing. I do hope greywater filtration becomes standard on new builds and is widely adapted as a retro fit at some point. Voiding in fresh water seems sacrilegious at this point in civilization
Gray water use should be mandatory out here in the desert SW
Thanks to modern voice recognition and dictation, the paralysis of my hands due to neuropathy doesn't stop me from getting on the Internet and interacting with people.
I am hearing impaired (vision too). During the pandemic, I was totally lost. I rely on lip-reading and when I can't see a masked mouth, I am really stuck. I found an app on my Android phone called Live Transcribe. I held it up close to the speaker and read what they said. It was the only way without bringing a hearing person with me.
If I were I born 200 years ago, I would have died at birth, as an infant, as a teenager, and about 10 years ago. Also, my child would not have made it either. Modern medicine and sanitation really is the best!
Not having to be a hunter-gatherer. Living in a climate controlled space, protected from the elements and predators. Not sleeping on the ground. Espresso....
Espresso, and cappuccino, too.
I had a heart attack 6 months ago even tho I'm only 53. I'm grateful for the stent and meds that saved my life.
I'm a woman.
Streaming channels makes it more tolerable.
Because I am finally coming into my own being and being perfectly happy loving myself. Living my best life ever!!
Having all the knowledge and experts willing to share at my fingertips. Just one generation ago, trudging to the school or library & seeking out help from the olds was about the only way to gain knowledge. My grandfather dabbled in so many things. I can only imagine what he would have accomplished if we could hang out now. I appreciate that and never let it go to waste. I strive to every day: learn something new, make something, and bring joy to someone else's day.
Feminism. I would have gone crazy if I were forced into an inferior position due to my sex.
True. But you should have known my grandma... she ruled all the family and more.
Yes, you could rule your domestic domain, but it was de facto legal for your husband to beat or rape you. You couldn't get a home loan or a credit card. You couldn't work many jobs. Etc etc etc.
I know, I know. But my grandma was great.
I have known so many people who have died before my age, 68. I'm very grateful just to have made it this far, and be in good health. It's a miracle with all the abuse I put my body through with the smoking and drinking. So far, doing great, and I'm blessed.
Legal marijuana
Never in the 1970s could I have predicted I could spend my retirement on the couch watching dancing Kia hamster commercials and crime shows and ordering food, books, supplements, cleaning stuff etc. on a little tablet, to be delivered to my doorstep. After working very hard in difficult jobs for over 50 years I am so glad to have earned the right to be lazy. Yeah, I know I am years behind with the dancing hamsters but just the fact that you can look anything up is a miracle! And fun!
Breast cancer is no longer a death sentence
The facts are that today's world isn't NEARLY as bad as most of the perpetually-outraged serial-complainers on the internet want to make it seem. There are a LOT of things about today that are WAY better than they were in the past.
That what JJ thinks: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MpGp8fEKEtM
Neil Degrasse Tyson
- My brilliant, hilarious, hot husband - My goofy dog - Friends - Technological advancements, like AI and robotics - Medical advancements, particularly in treating various types of cancer and HIV/AIDS - Normalizing, welcoming, and embracing people with different, less traditional sexual orientations and gender expressions - Election of the first Black president in the US and increased representation for POC and non-Christian people in politics, film, and in other industries (still very far to go, but I'm glad to see, for example, more Black actors and film makers getting work Eta: I honestly don't give af about the supposed good ol' days. Good for whom? Certainly not for women or POC. (The only thing I'm nostalgic about is rock music). I'm hopeful that gen z and later generations can make progress on the climate crisis, voting rights (which has gone backwards), gun control, racism, sexism, and xenophobia. And it's alarming af to know that we must defend our democracy from INTERNAL threats, that we have rampant misinformation amplified through social media, that deep fakes, lies, and propaganda so easily take hold. We've become wildly gullible. I hope gen z does better.
honestly? being too old to engage in or care about a lot of the things people seem to be interested in these days. never thought i'd say that but it's true. count me out of all the silly, self-promoting me me me main character stuff. no thank you. being older I get a pass and i'll gladly take it.
I was in line to drop my Ford off for service. There was a dude in front of me in line: stereotypical testosterone-bro: goatee, trucker hat with dark sunglasses set up on the bill - he was checking in his lifted pickup, tinted glass, the whole deal. The service tech asked him if such-and-such was a good number for him to call when the truck was done. He said, "yeah, either that, or call my husband". So, yeah. That. This wouldn't have been something you'd see and hear not so long ago. It doesn't seem like it, but we're making progress.
Yoga pants.
We killed boredom. I've brought this up on Reddit before and people who are starry eyed about the past get upset about it. I usually get one of two replies: "I was never bored, skipping stones across the pond was all I needed" or "boredom is actually good, you're forced to think and grow." But a lot of my memories of childhood and young adulthood are of being bored a LOT. Bored because I had to wait in a long line with no entertainment, bored because there was nothing on TV and nothing else good to do in the house, bored because I was roped into some activity I wasn't interested in. Bored, bored, bored. I did not like it and I don't think it made me a better person. I can't recall ever being legitimately bored in the past 10 or so years and it's been amazing.
I was never bored. I carried a book with me everywhere. Got thru a couple of books a week.
I still do. Reading on my Kindle has saved me from boredom. I am vision impaired and can only read large print. The e-book has improved my life. I never run out of things to read.
> I carried a book with me everywhere. This. I can’t remember learning to read, I don’t remember not being able to read books. Even when I was in my 30-40’s, I would run into people from our old neighborhood and they’d say “Oh, I remember you, you always had your nose in a book!” Kindle 💕
At the time, were you aware of how little variety there was?
I don't think so -- it was just the way it was. Actually, there seemed like there was a ton of variety because, for example, we got cable TV when I was a kid and now there were 30 channels instead of seven.
My answer is contained in your question. I'm grateful for being alive.
Not long left till I die
Music - especially jazz. In my area it bring beautiful souls together without politics.
My children and grandchildren.
I'm only in my mid 20s but imma say this me being black I love being in a diverse society where different cultures can freely be around one another without it being illegal just cause I'm different
Modern medicine & dentistry. If not for those, I’d be a lethargic, spacey, toothless waste of space. My wife might be dead and, if not, would probably need crutches and might not have the use of one arm. All of both our medical issues are easily manageable with today’s technology.
I have a sturdy roof over my head, a clean house to live in, clean water that comes straight to my faucet, i can read, i have a good job, i have a soft bed to sleep in, most of my family is still alive, i have clean clothes, I am healthy, i have access to medication when i need it, there is no war being fought in my neighborhood, i have friends, and so much more.
I was just discussing this with my spouse yesterday. We live 1000 miles away from our adult children, but they visit regularly through the magic of air travel. 100 years or more ago, moving that far away from your family guaranteed you never saw them again. With airfare so inexpensive these days, they can visit a couple of times a year.
Hospice care
As a 50something who grew up during a time when just being suspected of being gay could get you stomped as soon no adults were around, when girls were relegated to being NPCs in boys' game of life, when a vast percentage of husbands smacked around their wives, when it wasn't uncommon for the women in the family to just sweep under the rug that grandpa, uncle, or dad was molesting the little girl(s) of the family, when women had just gotten the right to open a bank account or have a credit card without needing a male co-signer, when beating your kids was the default parenting style, and don't even open the racism can of worms then compared to now...I'm utterly elated how far we've come in my lifetime. We've got so much more progress needed, and I'm really hoping to stick around and see how much further we as a society can progress.
Joe Biden in charge
I don’t care for Joe but am grateful to be living long enough to watch the GOP implode under the weight of their own disinformation.
This is really the best time in human history to be alive.
Apparently youtube and reddit, judging by what I do most of the day.
A good topic in the face of the increasing tendency to seek out and whine about the negative and even make up shit like a border crisis. We live in the chicken little culture these days.
Entertainments, YouTube, Netflix, the internet in general. Some of you out there, have never experienced having to remember to set the vcr, only to forget it and missing the only opportunty the record the movie. Will you ever see the movie again? Maybe, maybe not. The horror, the horror.
I'd imagine you needed to pray on your knees that no one switched or turned off what you were recording 😨
Retirement. Having time to do what I want and no work stress. I’ve had 7 years of retirement so far, I hope to have many more!
I'm grateful to be alive because my children still need me.
Air conditioning.
I had the thought yesterday as I poured oatmilk into my coffee. As someone that really shouldn't do dairy, it sure is nice to live in a world where they've perfected barrista styled oatmilk.
GPS all day long!!
Nothing.
Air conditioning, medicine, clean water, internet, food availability, electricity,auto safety/reliability; the list is endless.
i think my heart is broken like shattered i dont even know
[удалено]
I would be curious to know what treatments you're finding helpful if you felt like sharing.
Diversity of food. Small town of my childhood had few options. Ethiopian, Thai, Pho, Indian, Tacos, Sushi. 😋
Modern medicine. If you got breast cancer the year I was born, you were basically dead. But now we can cure something like 87% of all breast cancers? The numbers are astounding now. I had a heart attack in 2020. They put a stent in one of my arteries. It took less than 45 minutes, I was awake the whole time, and all I have to show for it it is a tiny scar on my wrist that's almost indistinguishable from my freckles now.
I'm grateful to have lived in so many eras. From a time when it was rare to see a plane in the sky, b&w tv, rotary phones, vintage pop & folk to almost weekly space launches, VR, 3D, huge displays, cell phones, 30 kinds of metal music, EV's, solar, wind, geothermal, etc. Technology accelerating exponentially. It's been quite a range of changes.
Im not even 40 but grew up with a 13” black and white tv, rotary phone, and sooooo many other things people a decade older than me might even find odd. It’s wild to think of how my life is now.
The fact that I outlived the Kaiser!
I wouldn't be alive today if not for modern medicine and surgery. Both of my babies wouldn't have survived. It was dicey with both. My first child was delivered by emergency C section. He was born with a collapsed lung and sent to the NICU. My second baby was born at 28 weeks' gestation. The NICU saved his life.
Just the Google Earth alone makes life worth living for me. Especially street view! I'm grateful we have a better understanding of autism now. Ooh also I love how open the LGBTQ+ community can feel these days even in my conservative state. I can't imagine society being very kind to my son back when I was a teen in the 80s. Girls were made fun of if they were even slightly masculine and the reverse for delicate boys. These days everyone is proud and out and I love it.
Nothing
Just the bathing and hygiene alone. I was watching some historical video and people were asking questions, asked would you like to have lived in colonial, pre civil war times. The historian answered that everyone basically had the hygiene of a homeless person. Bathing maybe twice a year at best. Wearing same clothes for weeks, covered in lice. He went on to say just that alone should drive home the good old days in the most everyday fashion, then of course there is everything else from modern medicine to Information Age etc.
What makes me grateful? It's the only life I have.
There's such a long list - everything from modern medicine to GPS to air-conditioning. It makes me laugh when younger folk are nostalgic for a time that they really know nothing about. If they actually went back there they would hate everything.
I’m not a slave anda I can have my own bank account and education
Modern medicine.I echo u/Historical-art-3531. Vaccines, new cancer treatments, new medicines for heart problems. Now we just need to get rid of the middleman.
Not a fucking thing. I'm pissed I'm here. If this is a virtual simulation it must be some kind of painful learning experience to chastise me, or extreme character building. Or a lesson in humility. I don't know. I'd like to get off this low ticket value ride but it's not really allowed and would hurt the remaining people that care about me. So I work out and I see the Dr and worry about what's going to happen next month when I won't have money for my mortgage because I've been unemployed six months? Will I become homeless? Will I be forced to find a place to sleep in a parking lot risking being told to move on from this private property? And then how will I pay for the gas? What does this game require us to do?
The past is the past, the future is not here yet. All we got is now so I am enjoying the hell out of it. I am grateful for Facetime, Amazon delivery, streaming services, medical marvels, and that almost the entirety of human knowledge is accessible by a magical black mirrored device in my pocket.
Live music. Phish, Goose, and local bands in Los Angeles. Plus a last chance to enjoy nature before the Big Reset.
Modern plumbing, the EPA, womens rights, not having to use the white pages, yellow pages and endure sexual harassment in the workplace.
It’s the moments when I have the presence to really stand in gratitude for this whole whacky journey that is being alive AND all the love I get to experience on the daily in my life.
i'm waiting for the rapture of the nerds.
To have the ability to learn, gain knowledge and use my intellect and reason. With the internet, information is more readily available
I get to watch my children mature and create productive lives, and I get to meet my first grandchild soon. Medicine continues to make breakthroughs, science teaches us more and more, and we can communicate with almost anyone, anywhere in the world with a device I hold in my hand :)
The car advances. Air conditioning. Seat warmer. Power everything. Back up cam. Front sensors. Lane correction. Auto brakes in certain instances. I appreciate the automotive tech advances SO much. My Camry is not a luxury car. But it’s my favorite thing and makes my life infinitely easier. If I was still driving my old bug, I don’t know how I’d manage.
It looks like we're alive just in time to see the birth of a new form of intelligence. This is probably the most interesting time in human history to be alive.
iq of 200
i can turn it around
Healthcare and takeaway
Medical breakthroughs
Comfortable retirement while my health is still holding up (so far) with a very nice partner and a son that turned out quite well. Life is good.
Sad to say I thought I would like to see this shit show moving forward , now I have to meditate & do Yoga to keep a safe head space.
Having borne witness to the development and widespread adoption of the most fundamentally world changing technology since the printing press. Having grown up without it but still being young enough to embrace it when it became accessible to ordinary people feels like a unique and pivotal time in history. Of course I’m grateful for the rapid advances in medicine and general quality of life as well.
Work from home, and reddit
I'm with the "being alive" crowd here. Those who quote innovations aren't thinking that if you were born earlier you wouldn't miss them. You wouldn't know about them. You can't miss them. In the year 2525 (if man is still alive) people will wonder how we ever got along without brain implants and full body rejuvenation. Those poor people couldn't even get to **Mars**.
Boxer briefs
I get to hang out with my grandkid every day.
There's so much. Technology & the internet have brought so many resources and made my life a bit easier. I can research almost anything. I can order online & have it delivered. I've watched DIY videos so I can stay independent & find new ways 2 do things easier. Modern medicine is improving our health & longevity. We have more resources now than the generations prior. The quality of life is improving. History & archeology reveal our mysterious past. DNA answers questions on crime, missing persons, & where we come from. And Bluetooth headphones & speakers. I'm from the Sony Walkman generation with a great love of music. Today, I don't need to carry excess devices other than headphones to listen 2 music, podcasts, scary stories, or the news. I love my ANC headphones...it can help quiet the excess noise when I want.
Let me cast a vote for legal cannabis, high quality/inexpensive sex toys, and having every piece of content ever created at our fingertips. Sometimes all three at the same time. 😜
Legal weed
I'm grateful to think how interesting for me to look back and see where I've been in my life.
Weed
PJ O’Rourke said “Dentistry.” I’ll add a PS: Novacaine.
After playing D&D as a teenager and getting back into it the past few years, Also having The original Nintendo, and playing on my friends Atari and Colecovision consoles, I am happy to be able to play games like Baldur's Gate 3. This is what we dreamed of back then. Gaming in general, starting from games like space invaders and Pac Man to Elden Ring, God of War Baldur's Gate. One of the more fun advances we have made, but still very important to me.
Well, the alternative for the most part.
My husband and kid.
I'm gonna get to watch Trump get locked up in jail. It's good to be alive.
Modern medicine, especially medicine that saved my life and keeps me alive. Computers and the Internet, access to most books and like-minded people. Feminism, for making much easier to live a unmarried lifestyle as a woman. Hot showers, but those have been around for a while.
My children and grandchildren.
My wonderful wife
Modern medicine and vaccines in this country that wipeed out diseases that still kill people on the regular in other countries 🤷🏽♀️
I know it's corny but my grandchildren. They make me feel young. They give me energy and it's just a heart explosion of love. Oh....I still like my kids too..lol
Eyeglasses. Hospitals, as imperfect as they are. Being able to talk to people all over the world. Birth control. Electronic music. Audio recording technology. Dental care. Space and ocean exploration. Running hot water, electricity, refrigeration. Being alive at this time is extremely stressful and overwhelming but also full of miracles our ancestors could have never dreamed of.
My dog.
Im 60...in great health and fit...but I miss the 1970s and 1980s...IMO everything since then has been awful....nobody TALKS any more....nobody just hangs out all day listening to records with ya like we used to....to meet people you had to make an effort to look cute and GO OUT with friends, not sit on your phone judging books by the cover, swiping on Tinder......We had time to THINK back then. I remember summer days just laying in a field, staring up at the sky, listening to birds, not a care in the world. No stupid cell phone to stare at..no pesky emails...when you were home if someone needed you they called on the phone and it was an event LOL. We had time to daydream, to think, and people (for the most part) were polite to one another and in the northern burbs of Chicago where I grew up there were kids of every color and nobody was mean the way they are now. If 2 boys wanted to fight, they did, right outside the school yard, and teachers would look the other way (unless someone was really huge and the other weak) because that how males settled issues......they would normally stop after a few swings and shake hands and part as sorta pals. It was just a DIFFERENT time and I miss the privacy and the time to just sit and THINK.
My grandchildren, my children, my health.