Rose Cottage Ltd

I’ve been rather appalled for the past few years at all the societal changes I see taking place. It seems that every time some new “progress” is made, much of society actually takes a few steps backwards. The changes also seem to be coming too fast and sometimes when the government interferes, with too little forethought as to all the potential ramifications. This is a bit like the massive rise in cell phones and texting, before anyone bothered to realize people would now be doing these activities – while driving.

It seems in my 58.5 years, changes have been many. The rise of the internet alone is almost more than one generation could have ever imagined. I was still pondering these changes when I went to the local cemetery to take some pictures of my grandparents’ and great-grandparents’ headstones. While I was doing that, I happened to find this one – who was not a relative…

I “reckon” as they say here in Southern Maryland, that Mary Edmonia, whoever she was, had a few changes to ponder in her lifetime too! She spent her early days probably walking everywhere or riding a horse or in a buggy pulled by a horse. Her later years – hoping she was still fairly well through most of her last year – saw the United States put a man on the moon! Talk about “change!”

Lately I have days when I just feel overwhelmed by what I see and what I hear. A society too focused on sex and appearance versus true substance. Lying as the new “norm.” A ever-increasing, overly complex government that seems to often waste more than it spends wisely. Too many people, too much crime, too much pollution, and too much loss of the quality of life most Americans hope or expect to have – especially once they reach the last half of their life expectancy.

I doubt Mary Edmonia had these concerns – at least not on a 24/7 basis. For while her world made drastic changes in her just-over 100 years on the planet, she probably knew very little about most of it, and she probably was only concerned about things that mattered to her personally. I had to chuckle to myself while standing over her grave – wondering if that lack of constant “info” is how she managed to live so long – at a time when she far exceeded normal life expectancy.I doubt she knew much about World War I or the Russian Revolution. She may have known about them, but was most concerned about the impact (or none) it had on her day-to-day existence.

For the next couple of days I’m going to conduct a test. I’m going to see what happens if I just stop watching the news for 48 hours. I’m guessing – nothing. I have about the same impact on world events as Mary Edmonia did – NONE! I’m going to work in the garden, as Mary probably did, and just spend some time pondering my life and my local events. Half the news is about ignorant people doing ignorant things anyway – I’m already starting to sound like Mary!!!

Maybe I can get some time back for good behavior!!