Thursday, January 17, 2008

Where have surprises gone?

I am spending a few minutes on mourning of surprises.

Remember when digital TV guides couldn't destroy your anticipation for the next movie? You would sit, anticipating what was next. Watching the cartoon search-spot lights and hearing the music, and then the voice-over: "Next up on H.B.O...". It was thrilling!

Remember when your phone would ring and you had NO idea who it was. It could be Dirk Benson from the AAU little league that you left your number for in a locker. Maybe he was calling to see if you would go to the dance with him, his dad will drive you in the La Baron? Maybe they will play Rob base and Easy E?Even when it turned out to be Mimi asking about your orthodontist appointment, it was exciting to NOT know!

Remember when emails didn't have a "auto-preview" setting. You would actually have to click on it, wait for it to open in a second window, and read further? People could fake you out with "Subject" entries. Like "Subject: Slide Presentation" and then once you read the actual copy it was all about you being naked, and dirty little moves. Those days? Gone.

Remember when you had NO idea what you were having for lunch, opening up the "Transformers" tin box always smelled like PB&J and stale bananas, but it was a surprise. Maybe it was grilled cheese in a little clingy bag? Maybe you got some chips? Maybe today I would get chocolate instead of fig newtons. Who knew? It could happen.


Let's reprise the surprise....but how?

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

I notice many posts are tagged both "funny" and "whacky shite", but one does not always constitute the other. What determines your post-family characterization as ultimately "funny" and/or "whacky shite"? Do you apply complex, probabilistic algorithms to determine the true output ratio of said whackiness vs. funny?

Or might such appointments be debated amonst a roundtable of peers - comprised of blogger illuminati, if you will - a'la Dorothy Parker?

Eh. My guess is, the process is less involved. You obsess, and can't decide. So, you choose both.

No...that's can't be it. Maybe.