Thankfulness I'm reading a set of books set in frontier America so I've been thinking about modern conveniences lately. The telephone for instance; you pick up the reciever, dial a few numbers and presto!, you're talking to someone on the other end. International calling is even more amazing when you think about the distances involved. Or a car, cars are definitely amazing creatures. In theory, a vehicle gives a person freedom no one could imagine in the time my book is set in. In practice, the care and feeding of an automobile proves to provide a few roadblocks to total independance. And now, you can combine those two inventions and take your phone with you in your car! Could life get any better? My personal favourite though, is the dishwasher. Growing up as one of two dishwashers in a house without a mechanical one has made me appreciate having one now. It's really marvellous. You put dirty dishes in with some soap, turn it on, and in minutes the dishes are clean and ready to be put away. And, as an added bonus, it's a place to keep the dirty dishes so you don't clutter up your counter and sink. Brilliant. |