I still remember wondering what Plymouth meant when they announced new cars with an automatic transmission. The next exciting change in the automobile industry was the introduction of air conditioning. Of course my first mother-in-law amazed us at Mt. Bethel as she showed her Rich’s store credit card and explained how she could use that instead of cash or a check. We were all amazed at that invention! My mother loved her new washing machine that had no wringer so she didn’t have to pass every piece of laundry through that device.  She also loved the vacuum cleaner they bought from a traveling salesman. That’s how I got my encyclopedia set too … I heard a knock on the door by a total stranger and, before long, I’d purchased something which I doubt is used much by today’s generation. 

  Of course, we grew up with the old rotary phone and were on a party line for years. I’ll bet you’ve heard me talk about how the volunteer firemen would hear a long single ring on their phone and know there was a fire so they’d rush to the station and get the big truck in route. My parents would wonder what I was up to if they saw me take out my cellphone. They did get to use a microwave and of course had central heat in their new home in Jackson. They’d probably wonder how I was changing the station on the television with a handheld device though. I love being able to record a favorite show on my DVR if I’m going to be at choir practice and then play it when I get home. I also enjoy the internet and Facebook is a favorite. I can keep up with the latest news, business changes and family happenings via that invention. I like the little laptop I now use but I’m glad I grew up seeing the first computer and then watching a fax come in from another company somewhere in South Georgia as I worked in Atlanta. Life of Georgia also introduced me to a machine that played back recorded messages so I could type them on an electric typewriter. At First National Bank of McDonough, we would post each customer’s check on a big card fed into an NPR machine, then file the checks in massive drawers. Certain checks from other banks would take a week or so to actually clear too! It’s neat seeing my adult kids shoot a copy of a check on their phones to deposit the money into their account. I am glad I can now go to my accounts via my laptop, and see which checks have cleared or check my balance. Wow! We just keep changing down here on earth. 

  My doctors never hand me a prescription, but instead just send it via the internet to Walgreens. When I see I’m getting low on meds, I call their little computer and it tells me when the product is going to be ready. Two family members seldom stroll the aisles of their grocery stores either; just go online and place the order, then pick it up outside. 

  Well, I’m glad at least three things in my life haven’t changed.  Of course, one is my radio station; I still listen to WJGA via my little radio and am kept up to date with the latest news, weather, and hear favorite music plus an occasional new song. I still love getting my AJC out of the driveway every morning and the Henry County Times out of my mailbox. Lastly, attending church hasn’t changed.  We do have a sound system and our techie teens have the words to the hymns up on a big screen though. But I still love the sermons, prayers, and the warmth generated at Mt. Bethel.