Over the past few years I have developed a liking for stories (fiction or non-fiction) set in the 1700's-late 1800's, mostly taking place in England. I have read and re-read all the great Austen novels, in addition to a couple Gaskell, and of course have seen all of them, & more, on film.
I sometimes wish I lived in a different time period; a time when life was slower, when expectations on a lady were character, good countenance, discretion, and politeness; a time when it was normal to pay someone to help you cook, clean, nanny, teach your children, help you put on your clothes, teach you to ride horses, answer your door, get your mail, etc. (c'mon now - expectations on ladies these days are to serve your husband and children while working and taking care of all household things...it's crazy!); when taking walks was routine for everyone because there were not cars; when being outdoors was valued so highly that it was used as an aid in nursing ill ones back to health; when family members ate meals at exactly the same time every day, and then spent the morning or afternoon hours socializing together over needlework, book readings and card games, and tea.
When I read or watch these stories, I am plainly reminded at the difference between cultures then and now. And of course, nobody wrote about the terrible things that happened then (awful treatment of servants, how much harder everyone had to work, the disadvantages of less-advanced technology [note this list is shorter because of my own ignorance] etc.) so there is a balance to be struck in the observance of both times. Even still, I feel those people had such an advantage over us in many ways. Life was slower because their technologies caused them to be. There were no cell phones, no computers...only face-to-face contact and hand-written letters. They were taught restraint and pleasantness even in unfavorable circumstances. Oh how I wish we all knew that slower pace, the value of face-to-face contact, and the art of pleasantry!
When I find myself fully involved in a story taking place during this time period, I long for some of the peaceful moments they had. I long to know the discipline of cooking without electricity, of traveling without cars, of having only one or two pairs of shoes, of not being distracted by the endless retail options and food establishments. The sad reality is that I don't know what life is like without convenience.
I don't like the gut feeling I have that my life is saturated in pleasures, in instant gratification. I don't like that I don't know disciplines as I should. I don't like feeling entitled. But I do, and that's the problem.
Matt has said to me on more than one occasion, "What contribution am I making to the world?" He's struggled with the eternal significance of his profession in selling fences and roofs (his question: does that at all impact anyone's life significantly?). Or, he asks himself what he could do outside of his profession that would reach others in a meaningful way? When he comes home he is tired and it's easy to turn on the computer and forget about the world. I share his struggle because it is one in the same with mine.
The proverbial question I've been asking for some time is this: How would I live my life differently if I wasn't so entangled in these stupid, non-essential distractions? Would I then make a more significant impact on the world? Would I then find it easier to be selfless and giving? Would I then take time to care about the world around me?
The grass is always greener on the other side, and I don't live in 1750. The year is 2010, and I've got to find a way to live to serve others more wholly, to get out of my bubble. But I just don't know how to get out from under the weight of...technology? I was made to love God and others, not to surf the web and watch TV.
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