________ ________ ________
2017-11-09 / \/ \/ / \
/ __/ /_ _/
This is something that's been knocking / _/ / /
around in my head for a few months but it's \_______/_\___/____/\___/____/_
never really congealed into a solid post so / \/ \/ / \
I might just lay it out train-of-thought / _/ /_ _/
style and see what comes together. /- / _/ /
\________/\________/\___/____/
My sister and I are pretty close in
years, shared a lot of the same experiences growing up and share more than a
few interests. We were waxing nostalgic about this or that from when we were
kids and it got me thinking about the decline in tactility.
Everything is (arguably) more convenient now but at the cost of the
peripheral experience; making a phone call, listening to music, watching a
movie, reading a book, taking a photo are pretty different activities but now
they all feel the same; a small rectangle in your hand, fingertips on smudgy
glass.
It brought into sharp focus a lot of little things I miss; the squeak as
you open a VHS big-box and the satisfying clunk as you put the tape into the
VCR. Taking jewel cases off the shelf, one by one, picking through albums
until you find one to listen to, taking it out and putting it in the CD
player. Flipping through the liner notes while you listen. The background
sounds of tape motors and record needles. Flicking switches, turning knobs,
pressing buttons. The smell of 5 1/4" floppy disks.
I dunno, I just really miss the shape and weight and texture of things.
I'm really space-challenged at the moment but one day I'll have the space
to do myself a nice nostalgic den with a CRT, VCR and tape shelf, a nice HiFI
and have the old computers out and usable.
