Gimmie Gimmie Now Now! - Instant Gratification

Why? Simple really (well maybe not so simple).

65 to 70 years ago there was less in the way of entertainment. Less telephones. Less cars. Less of lots of things and families sat and took time to play a game, eat a meal or to just talk.

In the 1950's television came along replacing radio which started to void imaginations.

In the 1960's televisions became more affordable and some homes had 2 or even 3. Cars became more of a commonplace thing too and some families had 2 or 3 so at the age of 16 or 17 little Junior no longer had to wait for mom to drive him somewhere, he could drive and he even had his own car.

Then came the 1970's and 1980's. Here is where it really took off.
Remote control...change channels and watch things as your mood changes, no more annoying commercials or need to get up and change a channel.
VCR's....watch what you want when you want.
Microwave ovens...no more waiting an hour for a meal now it's done in under 5 minutes!
Phones phones everywhere. Even more teens have their own phone line so no longer waiting for 5 others to finish before you get your 5 minutes of time.
Cellular phones began to take hold....

The 1990's...somewhere in there portable CD players took off. No longer did you have to wait through 4 songs on a record or 7 songs on a cassette tape. Your song was there at the press of a button and at home (and some portables) you could even program things for only what you wanted.

Computers. Everything is at ones fingertips in almost a blink of an eye. No more going to the big library. Just turn the computer on and voila!
These days children leave school stuck to their cell phones. No longer do they need to wait until they are home to tell Gramma how mean the teacher is.

In a quick encapsulation, what happened is usually referred to as Technology. Technology is both good and bad as you are most likely aware and one of the downsides of it, is that it makes things happen faster and shortens our attention span until...


Did you say something I was playing with my new Gameboy.

The older I get, the more patient I become. I think patience is the result of having been repeatedly frustrated. I can wait for practically anything now.

Maybe you just haven't been frustrated enough, Bella.

Too much to read here. Could somebody please summarize?

dang it pd,
hurry up. im tired of waiting on you ..
i cant see

...entitled to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness with absolutely no boredom....


....and during the commercials you can go to the bathroom or make a snack....

Well ladies.The answer is that you were always like that.It is nothing new.What is new is men who try to please you too much.

I know you don't know it due to these types of men but the fact is you actually prefer long drawn out aggravation because the final denoument is more satisfying and you have something to whinge about as well.

You know, Eva, that's a pretty deep thought there, and I think much truth in it.

Now that I'm headed for my middle 50s next year, I think along the same lines. I don't know if it's a "getting older thing", but I think I'm a better person for it than when I was in my 20s and 30s.

I am very patient too; I really don't mind waiting--just as long as it is a reasonable amount of time

I have to agree with Eva and Reyn - maybe it's just a middle age thing. Often when I have to be patient I think "in the light of eternity what's another few minutes".

There was a study done on children in which a child was given a treat (some kind of candy) and told if they wait until they are told they can eat the treat they will be given more of it. If they eat the treat before they are told they can eat it they will not get another piece. They followed these children for the next 15 years and found that the children who could hold out and not give into the temptation to eat the treat went on to have happier more successful lives.

I can't wait for this thread to end.

Gus you just like quickies