Today’s technology has rocketed us into an age where our choice of entertainment far exceeds anything ever available to past generations.
In days gone by, before the advent of electricity and commercially sponsored sport, ordinary people found great pleasure in, what today, would seem very simple pleasures indeed.
Nowadays, we are given convincing arguments through advertising why our novels and news feeds should contain more sensational revelations. Our drama must be more sexual, our films and videos more blood curdling, our electronic games more violent and even our holidays organised to enable us to visit more exotic distant locations.
While much of our entertainment can offer us momentary satisfaction, we should never lose sight of the more durable pleasures that still abound in our highly technological world.
There is still our wonderful natural beauty all around us that can provide us with a sense of awe. There is art, drama and literature that caters for the development of our imagination and enables us to keep in touch with reality.
Also, there is sport, that should not only develop discipline and our physical fitness, but our ability to compete fairly in a world where killing and winning seems to be the ultimate entertainment. Sure, we should strive to win, but when we lose, we need to learn to lose with dignity.
Let’s make an effort to enjoy the simple pleasures of the quality entertainment available to us, generally at little or no cost.
I’m Peter Mack and that’s life.