You just have to wonder, what's next?

[FryeVRCCDS0067]

It's been an interesting ride.

While riding home from work today through the Bridgeton/Rosedale area REO Speedwagon's Golden Country and a couple other songs from their 2nd album came up in my helmet speakers and took me back in time.

In 1972 or 73 I hitchhiked to Terre Haute to see them perform those songs for free at Fairbanks Park. A biker driving a van with all the seats except his removed picked me and a bud up and dropped us off at the park. It was pure mercy on his part to drop us off at the park. Since we had no idea where the park was and it was long before cell phones and Google Maps, driving us all the way there is a favor I appreciate to this day.

We were way early and had no idea how we were getting home. Didn't even know for sure we were in the right place until a much older girl (at least 20) threw a blanket down on the ground beside us and took her top off to work on her tan.  We looked at each other and decided we were there.  The concert was great and we caught a ride home with some friends.

If someone had told me that day that in 45 years I'd be riding a fuel-injected (what's that) 6 cylinder motorcycle while wirelessly sending "Golden Country" from my cell phone (what's that) to my motorcycle GPS (what's that) to a wireless intercom housed in my helmet... And it would sound better than my stereo with diamond needle turntable I would have nodded my head, backed away and had a good laugh.

You just have to wonder, what's next?

[old2soon]

What's next is currently a random thought in a 6 year old's gourd. As long as people say "Why Not" consumer products and-think military-killing devices Will continue their advancement. Even with All the lawsuits Medicine continues to git better. I remember a time when you could barely give away a cage with 75-80 G on the clock. Now with proper care well I have a bit over 225 G on my 94 Olds. If my Dad were present NOW try splainin my cell phone to him OR my laptop computer OR my flat screen T V OR my surround sound OR Why I do NOT have to replace plugs and points at bout 10 G miles OR balance beads stead of lead weights fer tire balance OR satellite T V OR-well most of us here git it!  What's Next-long as I am cognizant I eagerly await What's next!  RIDE SAFE.

[The emperor has no clothes]

You get old enough, you see a lot of stuff. Keeping up with it is the problem for me. You talking about old stereo equipment makes me think how much money I spent over the years on that stuff.

[Jess from VA]

Born in 1953, I often have the same thoughts Mike.

I stayed right up with new technology until around 1985.  After that I was just too busy working to stay up, and it passed me by (mostly).

I still remember an old game show where three contestants were asked what they thought was the greatest invention of all time.

The first guy said jet aircraft.

The second said rockets that go to the moon.

The third guy said thermos bottles.

The host was confused and repeated, thermos bottles?

The third guy said yeah, it keeps cold stuff cold and hot stuff hot.... how does it know?

PS, during a family vacation to Miami at 15, I got my folks to drop me off at a rock concert (I was a responsible kid).  If they had any idea what I was exposed to that day, they never would have let me go at all.  When they picked me up that evening they asked how it was.  I could never tell them, so I said it was.... pretty good.  (1968)

Look at the lineup. http://www.thestripproject.com/dec-1968-jan-1969-miami-pop-festival/

[Oss]

Great post, hitchiking was how I got around before I bought my car second year at SUNY Buffalo as well.

Think about it, crazy, my grandfather grew up where there was only horses, no indoor plumbing in the shtetl in Poland/Russia, no phone, no electricity, no hope, all the other Jews killed by Cossacks

He lived to become a citizen, work in the philly navy yard in WWI
and live to see men walk on the moon, Israel rise from the ashes of WWII, the USA go to 50 states from 46, cell phones, color tv jet travel , air conditioning, women vote.....

My hope is that with each generation there are more jobs not less and that the next revolutions in technology create those jobs by cleaning up the planet and creating energy.  You dont have to be a globalist to see that future

[J.Mencalice]

As the years and miles roll by,  I raise my hands to the heavens and give thanks to............................
the hip chicks of the 60's and 70's for their wonderful attitudes plus their wonderful and beautiful, free spirits.      Bless them all.

[..]

I went to https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isle_of_Wight_Festival_1970 and that opened my 17 year old eyes.

[Serk]

Going to Knebworth 1990 at 18 was a mind opening, and altering experience for me... I'm a generation behind most of ya'll, but making up for lost time.



I too love to think about where we've been, where we are, and even better where we're going.

My dad was born before the first jet aircraft or atomic bomb, has seen us progress all the way to where we are now.

(Technological depressing point - My lovely wife has never been alive while a human was on the moon, and I was only 1 year old the last time a human was there. It's been too long, we need to get back at that!)

Kinda funny to think that all the thousands of dollars of high tech wizardry this 1980's guy is marveling at can fit in a small device that costs a few hundred bucks and slips in your pocket today.



I think one of the next big advancements will be wetware computer interfaces, but there'll be a lot of pushback on that one, but that's the next logical direction.