21st Century Trends

Life in the 21st century is changing so rapidly, it’s hard to keep up with the trends. We’re on the brink of seeing the end of or dramatic change to some institutions, almost entirely because of the electronic age. Hard copy libraries will soon be gone, replaced, temporarily, by rooms filled with computer screens, places which will then become obsolete when everyone can do the same reading and research at home. Actually, we can do that sort of thing now. I’m an old schooler who still loves the feel of a real book in my hands, but I can see the convenience of e-books. Hard copy newspapers delivered to your door will vanish in the blink of an eye with all news agencies going on-line. Postal deliveries of hard copy mail—gone. Photo shops that develop film and turn out hard copy photos—gone. Video stores—gone. Travel agencies—gone. Grocery stores and supermarkets will soon give way to on-line purchasing and home delivery. Some professional umpires and referees will be replaced by video cams, leaving only a few humans to interpret what the cameras saw, with the next step having the electronic eye doing the interpreting, reporting its findings to the spectators in an electronic voice copied from Vin Scully or Jim Nantz. All corporate tech service and billing questions will be resolved by another electronic voice sounding eerily like Oprah Winfrey or Julia Roberts , or a voice chosen from a list of famous folk.

Even the Roman Catholic Church may step out of the eleventh century and into the 21st by dropping the celibacy requirements for priesthood. Nah, that may happen somewhere down the road, but not any time soon. I wonder if the church considers pedophiles as being celibate. Or homosexuals. Or masturbators. It’s all so confusing. Forgive me if I’ve offended anyone. I’m just naturally offensive.