LUXURY HAS BEEN UPDATED

I WAS VISITING WITH MY PEERS IN THE LOBBY OF THE SENIOR APARTMENT BUILDING WHERE I LIVE. WE WERE DISCUSSING THE RECENT CUT-BACKS IN PROGRAMS HERE IN CALIFORNIA THAT AFFECT ALL OF US. I LAUGHED AND SAID, "WELL AT LEAST THE GOVERNOR STARTED FROM THE TOP DOWN THIS TIME INSTEAD OF THE OTHER WAY AROUND."

SOMEONE ELSE LAUGHED AND SAID, "YEAH! HE DIDN'T DANCE THE NIGHT AWAY--NO INAUGURAL BALL!"

THEN I SAID, "I AM NOT DEFENDING HIM FOR CUTBACKS THAT DIRELY AFFECT THE SICK, DISABLED, HOMELESS, HELPLESS AND CHILDREN--BUT, I AM COMMENDING HIM FOR AT LEAST STARTING WITH HIS OWN HOUSE. HE SUPPOSEDLY CUT OUT--OR BACK, SOME OF HIS HIGH-SALARIED PEOPLE WHOSE JOBS WERE NOT AS NECESSARY AS OTHERS--OR, SO SAY THE MEDIA.

EVERYONE OF US WHO LIVE HERE ARE GOING THROUGH SOME KIND OF HEALTH RELATED OR FINANCIAL CRISES. OUR CHILDREN ARE UNABLE TO HELP US BECAUSE THEY ALL FEEL THE "CRUNCH" AS WELL.

I WAS BORN JUST BEFORE THE INFAMOUS "CRASH OF '29" AND I GREW UP UNDER THE "ROOSEVELT ADMINISTRATION". TIMES WERE TOUGH THEN AND THEY ARE TOUGH NOW. HOWEVER--WAAAAY BACK IN THE DAY, THERE WASN'T A TV (NOW CALLED TIVO) IN EVERY HOUSE--IN FACT THERE WERE NONE WHEN I WAS GROWING UP. NO ONE HAD THE LUXURY OF A "CELL" PHONE--WE WERE LUCKY IF WE HAD A TELEPHONE. THOSE WHO HAD THEM WERE USUALLY BUSINESSES OR FOLKS WHO WERE "WELL OFF". WI-FI, MP3 PLAYERS, KINECT, I-PADS, OR OTHER TECHIE PRODUCTS PROBABLY WERE NOT EVEN THOUGHT OF YET. SOME FOLKS DID HAVE RADIOS AND TYPEWRITERS.

IN THE LATE 60'S AND EARLY 70'S, I PECKED AWAY ON AN OLD FASHIONED TYPEWRITER UNTIL MY BOSS AT THE NEWSPAPER WHERE I WAS OFFICE MANAGER BROUGHT IN A BRAND NEW I.B.M SELECTRIC, AND--VROOOM, THE SON-OF-GUN ALMOST TOOK OFF WITH ME. THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE TWO WAS LIKE FLYING IN A TWO-SEATER CESSNA AS OPPOSED TO A JET FIGHTER. IT TOOK A WHILE TO GET USED TO, BUT EVENTUALLY I LEARNED TO APPRECIATE THE SPEED.

MY FRUSTRATION WITH TECHNOLOGY NOW IS THAT I JUST GET USED TO A PROCEDURE,(FOR INSTANCE ON MY COMPUTER), AND WHAM! I HAVE TO LEARN SOMETHING NEW. YOU'VE HEARD THE OLD ADAGE, "THE OLD GRAY MARE SHE AIN'T WHAT SHE USED TO BE?" WELL--THAT BE ME!

MEANWHILE BACK AT THE LOBBY I EYED A GLOSSY ARCHITECTURAL MAGAZINE AND WAS SCANNING THROUGH IT WHEN I CAME UPON THE FOLLOWING WORDS IN AN AD THAT STATED: "LUXURY HAS BEEN UPDATED". I SHOWED IT TO MY FRIENDS. ONE OF THEM LAUGHED AND SAID, "YEAH AND US UN-LUXURIOUS FOLKS HAVE BEEN DOWNGRADED."

"OH WELL! AT LEAST WE'VE KEPT OUR SENSE OF HUMOR! :):)

GOD BLESS! SEE YOU NEXT TIME!!