Rural Issues: Yesteryear and today

As I pen this column, critical infrastructure across our country remains on alert after an attack on two substations in North Carolina. Those attacks cut power to tens of thousands for several days.

It makes me sick to think that domestic terrorism exists in the United States of America.

It is hard to believe that less than a century ago, most of rural America did not have electricity. By 1950, more than 20% of farms in this country were still without power.

There are a lot of things about the world today that I would like to change. If you have read my columns in the past, you know most people are in too much of a hurry and do not have the respect for one another that they should.

I believe much of that attitude comes from our need for immediate gratification. Our parents wanted us to have more than they had, as their parents had wanted more for their children.

You cannot fault them or blame progress, but it does us all good to do without the amenities that we enjoy in our “modern life” if for just a short time.

Virtual video calls, drive-thru fast-food restaurants, pay-at-the-pump gas stations and microwaveable pot roasts for the family are all representative of the lives we live today.

Not so many years ago, instead of video games, it would have been checkers or a rousing game of baseball that kept our mind in shape. Instead of a video chat, a walk, run or bicycle ride over to the neighbor’s would satisfy the need.

Fast food would be an apple picked from a tree in the backyard. Gas stations offered full service. You knew the man who pumped your gas.

You knew his wife, his kids, the name of his dog, where he lived, what kind of car or truck he drove and his nickname and why he had it.

Pot roasts were not a quick fix, but a treat for the eyes and nose, as well as the taste buds. Eating the pot roast was a family event because everyone would sit down at the table together and enjoy the meal and one another. There were not five different mealtimes for five different family members.

Technology has transformed the world we live in, a process accelerating all the time. It has given us life-saving vaccines and tools to mend broken bodies that medical minds only dreamed of decades ago. It has allowed us to communicate efficiently with people all over the world.

Sophisticated technologies have given us tools that allow farmers to be more precise, environmentally friendly, efficient, profitable and safer.

There are things about yesteryear that were simple, more peaceful and overall better than they are today.

But given the choice, I do not want to go back to a time before modern medicine and technical advancements in agriculture. And I am much more excited than I should be about my new air fryer.