Thinking about the way life has changed in the past hundred years, I can only wonder what amazing changes lie ahead. Today we are instantly connected to anywhere in the world via the Worldwide Web. When I can send transcribed letters from the 1860’s to a rural library in Ireland over the Internet, including photo attachments, the technology is mind boggling. At what cost has this come to us? Exactly what is the trade-off?
                 Recently I interviewed several families for an Immigrant Program I put together for Westbrook Historical Society. One man, whose father came to America from Greece in the early 1920’s told him one particular story many times. When I asked him to tell me a story about his father, he chose this story. His grandparents in Greece were farmers, who made a living from their fruit orchards and the goods they sold on their farm. Later they became fabric merchants and furriers. He relayed a story from his father who made the statement that in one year alone, the family’s total expense was $1.67 [one dollar and sixty seven cents] He then said, they probably bought things like needles used to sew. In those days a traveling tinker might pass through to repair old pots and pans.
                 This was the turn of the century, early 1900’s. It seems as if 100 years ago we were totally self sufficient, living off the fat of the land, giving our heart and soul, blood sweat and tears into our existence as farmers. We relied on the weather and the help from our neighbors. Neighbors talked about their crops, worked together and bartered to survive. One week was spent picking pests from the apple orchard trees. The farmers in my family grafted some of their trees and did this for other farmers, so that one tree could have a few different kinds of apples. They looked after one another when help was needed. A farmer down the street might hire a hand from their neighbor or just share help when needed with no money exchanged. They shared farm equipment from time to time. They sought ways to improve their land. A dairy farmer had to make his own butter each morning before he took to his route. He made many kinds of milk. It was a difficult life ; nothing romantic about it. To stay warm, you had to spend a great deal of time in the woods in winter, cutting and hauling trees with the use of horse and sometimes oxen. In the latter part of the nineteenth century, most folks had their own herb garden. The herbs were grown for remedies and sometimes used for dye in their clothing. Think of making your own ink from tree nuts and with the scarcity of paper, nothing was wasted. Everything was made by hand for the most part.
                 So as we worked to improve our land, we also worked to improve technology, such as farm equipment, inventing machines like mowers and manure spreaders. We could get more work done while the sun was still in the sky. We always work to improve as that is human nature. Somewhere, we totally lost the self sustaining part of the equation. I also think it is human nature to need to have a connection to nature. We yearn for it. So maybe there has always been a grassroots effort to get folks to work toward the common goal of becoming more self- sufficient. Maybe it will take the oil crisis to get people to think how they spend and what they purchase. 
                 As we become more involved with the techno age, ask yourself if you could put down your cell phone, or turn off the computer or not even answer the phone? Today, on my drive to work, I was annoyed when a young girl in her car came out of nowhere and drove ½ car length’s distance, nearly all the way to work as she talked on her cell phone the whole trip. What was so important that she avoided her responsibility to other drivers on the road? I decided I need to make a bumper sticker which states, “ If you are on your cell phone-stay away from me.”  It seemed like she was on a racetrack. 
                 I can hardly believe the changes in my own lifetime regarding technology. I never took typing in school, as who could ever have envisioned everyone owning a personal computer when I was in middle school back in the early 1970’s. I believe that Henry Ford had the right idea when he wanted the average man to own a car. It revolutionized industry and changed America forever allowing the growth of the transatlantic highways. People began to travel to places that were mostly inaccessible except by train. The car transformed family life. The internet has transformed the world. Everyone has access to information. The way we receive information and send information has got to be the most significant aspect of the internet. It has changed the newspaper industry, the film developing industry, the telecommunications industry. Everyone has to struggle to keep up with the changes or they will not survive. Our world is transforming. Please try to hang onto some balance with nature. We need to be mindful of our food supply and stay informed.
                 One hundred years is not that long ago. Another matter of interest is that you will most likely be forgotten in three generations. That is the main reason I wish to pursue more stories from long ago. My advice is to start a garden and spend some time nurturing it. This has three benefits that I can see. You know what you are eating. It is the green thing to do. It may bring you closer to nature and preserve some sanity in a fast changing global environment.