While eating a roast chicken on Sunday I commented that
nothing ever tastes as good as my granny’s roast chicken. In fact, not only was
she a great cook but she killed the chickens herself. I remember watching her
sitting outside in the front of the house on a chair, plucking the recently
deceased chicken. We never saw the moment of death itself but plucking was an
arduous and messy affair that needed to be done outdoors.
In the space of two generations, the many skills of my
grandmother have been lost. I can’t kill chickens or pigs, make butter, bake
bread over an open fire, darn socks and all the many other things my granny could
do.
What would she have made of iphones? Or social media? What
would my granny’s Facebook Page be like? What would she tweet about?
I know she would have loved Twitter. Like all country people
in small rural communities, she loved to gossip. Everyone knew everyone’s
business. On the small road where she lived my granny would run to the window
at the sound of an oncoming vehicle, just to see who was passing. She could
have tweeted
Or she could have shared the minutiae of farming life.
I imagine the camera on a smart phone would have been a constant companion. Rural Ireland circa 1950 was very picturesque.
Facebook would have been hugely popular for sharing events and photos;
“New arrival born last night at 2.15. The image of her
mother, Daisy. We are overjoyed”
She would have changed her profile photo to this
She would have changed her profile photo to this
She would have had hundreds of friends because in the countryside everyone really knows everyone else. Instant messaging would have been a big hit.
“anyone going into town later? I need a lift to the shops”.
Like many farming families in the early 60’s, my grandparents didn’t own a car.
If you wanted a lift it was either on some farmer’s tractor or on the ass and
cart.
Imagine how Apps would have helped with the day to day
running of a farm. She would have liked this
Count Your Chickens - Before they Hatch App
Description
This app uses statistical probability to give stunningly
accurate forecasts for chicken numbers, BEFORE they hatch! A must-have for all
chicken breeders.
Or what about this
Who’s that Cow?
Description
Don’t the cows all seem to look the same? This app lets you keep a
digital record of each cow, their behaviour, daily milk amounts, the birthing record
etc. Can store up to 5 photos per cow. Never get your cows confused again!
On a serious note, I think social media would have greatly
enhanced Irish country life in my grandmother’s day. While it saddens me that
we have lost many of the skills of a way of life that doesn’t really exist any
more, it’s because the skills aren’t needed that they have died out. It makes
me wonder which skills we currently have will be obsolete in two generations
time and how will new technology and social media change the lives of our
grandchildren.
Anyone like to speculate?
