Dishwashers.

Do you remember when we washed the dishes by hand? No. Me, neither.

It does appear that there are still some people who do that. Perhaps they live in a primitive agrarian or hunter/gatherer social system where there is little electricity or where the cost of such necessities is beyond their meagre means.

“Let them eat cake.”

This statement was ascribed to Marie Antoinette but it is unlikely that her lips ever formed such words. Maybe she might have said, "Qu'ils mangent de la brioche." Since ‘brioche’ is a luxury bread enriched with butter and eggs the quote would represent the lovely lady’s disregard for the peasantry. The quote is more likely to have been from Jean-Jacques Rousseau’s book “Confessions” comprised of several volumes much of which was written when Marie Antoinette was only approaching nine years old.

Brioche

Dishwashers.

How we have come to accept as ‘normal’ that which, a few years ago, would have been outrageously luxurious if, indeed, it had been available at all.

How we seize upon the latest mobile telephone or tablet. These are ‘must have’ items and to hell with the environment and those who die digging up the rare earths needed in the manufacture of these desirable possessions.

In six months or a year, when the manufacturer’s Bell Curve of sales are on the declining slope, we shall be encouraged to purchase another ‘latest’ thing. The resale value of electronics that are a year old is infinitesimally small. 

Who wants yesterday’s papers—with apologies to Mick Jagger and Keith Richards?

Time to dig up more rare earths.

The landfills are bursting with ‘old’ technology; technology that was, only a short while previously, immensely desirable.

We seek new things almost by the day. Our focus and concentration is sorely limited. Even TV shows have to have an ‘incident’—be it a jest, death or stroke of drama, every minute, or so, to keep us interested.

If the show fails to do this we will change to another channel. The ratings go down and the show is axed—no matter how good it is.

We need new things. All the time. Our attention span is down to microscopic levels.

Fish are said to have a five second memory. They meet new friends all the time.

We are headed that way.

Kissing Gouramis (Helostoma Temincki)

Our minds are in the ‘phones or the tablet. We are focussed on someone far away, on events far away. The internet is the be-all and end-all of our existence.

We need to look up and view reality.

Listen. Do not just ‘hear’ but ‘listen’ to what is around us.

Look. Do not just ‘see’ but ‘look’ at what is around us.

News is not what is happening in Iraq or Syria. We can do nothing about that. News is what is happening to the old lady who lives alone down the road. Has anyone visited her to see if she is well? Does she need anything?

News is around us. All the time.

We need to raise our heads and see the beauty that is the World we live in and not the World that is injected into our heads electronically.

Donald Trump, et al, may be vaguely interesting but how do they impinge on our daily lives. They do not. If you are American then they are is a small chance that their election might affect you but it will not affect me—an Englishman abroad.

The girl next door has just had an accident; the baby down the road has a fever.  Do the families need, or want, help?

There is no need to have a mobile ‘phone to discover these things.

Shall we go to work in an environmentally unfriendly ‘Hybrid’ car?

Prepare our lunch in a modified radar system called a microwave?

Watch the latest show on our flat-screen 52” LED TV’s? If we are really up to date then perhaps the TV has Internet capability and a recording system so that we miss nothing of the very latest episodes of our favourite shows.

Turn the dishwasher on. Let it wash the dishes while we go out and examine the world; while we paint something glorious; while we write a magnum opus or compose the next fabulous ‘hit’ for the Diva of the day.

Lift up your eyes; lift up your hearts; lift up your spirits. Socialise with real friends—those around you. 

Go and buy a dishwasher.