We live in amazing technological times where many things can be done instantly at a touch of a button... ordering anything online (food, goods, medicines), online banking, research (Googling it bro), dating (insert the myriad of dating sites here) and watching movies and shows. It makes me think back to simpler times, when I'd load up my monochrome Amstrad CPC 464 and watch the tape deck counter slowly crawl forward before a game (hopefully) loaded.
This old pic of me is sorta connected to the concept of time and nostalgia.
Maybe in these times when everyone wants everything now there's something to be said for days of yore where we enjoyed the games more because we had had to wait. The anticipation was maybe half the joy; watching the loading screen slowly appearing and bathing the bedroom in a green glow while that annoying screeching noise reverberated all around.
No doubt these idle thoughts seem like an old man wishing for a past bathed in the cathode ray tube glow of nostalgia, but recently I bought a new game for the PS4 and had to wait quite a while for the system to update and download a patch and it had me reflecting back to my youth.... The waiting sucked, it did then and it does now! In these busy times who can wait for a hefty day 1 patch to download? I’ve got box sets to get through, digital friends to chat to so I can ignore real pals, tonnes of images of my mates food to appreciate... In my youth there wasn't much to do and the pace of life was slower so sitting, waiting for a crappy port of Double Dragon to load for 20 minutes was fine, but now.... yeeesh it's painful! I could watch an episode of Carmen Sandiego in that time!
I think there is much to be said of slowing down and smelling the roses and that Bueller quote but really, life has so many more options now and waiting is boring. Now making time for yourself, being present and mindfulness are another matter, but we'll save that for another time.
Just to note- this was an off the cuff devil’s advocate piece. My thought are a lot more nuanced than stated*