King Canute, Cher and me…
One of the most misinterpreted stories from the past is that of King Canute. The incorrect version of the story is that he thought himself so powerful he could command the waves to retreat. The actual circumstances were that he was showing just how feeble he was compared to nature and that no matter how powerful he was in society he was nothing when compared to the forces of nature.
So, he goes from arrogant to humble in one sentence, not bad!
Cher, that beloved icon of the recent past in the entertainment business, just wanted to ‘turn back time’… we know how deadly serious she was about that when we look at her single handed support of the cosmetic surgery industry.
There is something about controlling the ‘here and now’ that is at odds with the acceptance of the inevitable. The Zen monk,philosopher and general eccentric Ikkyu would have smiled at the efforts we go to today to control time and progress. Increasingly we want to ‘have our cake and eat it’.
Unlike Cher and King Canute , I do not want to control the future…just have a chance to understand it! We seem to be endlessly on the brink of a new advancement which will render all before impotent, but perhaps history does repeat itself. Have a look at this video about on-line banking in the UK from thirty years ago, yes thirty years ago!
…and I thought we were cutting edge nowadays.
This year’s CES , Consumer Electronics Show, demonstrated the transformation from fantastical concepts to must have products. When I was a boy , the choice when buying a watch was analog or digital now it is Android or IOS7 and the like. Voice activated, Bluetooth and wifi all included and by the way, they even tell the time!
Now whether we actually need any of this stuff is always debatable but it is incredible that the video you have just watched barely causes any surprise or amazement. We are more likely to question whether the device is compatible with our other mobile devices….. oh my!
‘Beam me up , Scotty!!!!’
see you on the long and winding road…….. Patrick