Tea at Trianon: An Entire Generation Doesn't Memorize Phone Numbers Anymore

John Wilson Croker on Marie-Antoinette

"We have followed the history of Marie Antoinette with the greatest diligence and scrupulosity. We have lived in those times. We have talked with some of her friends and some of her enemies; we have read, certainly not all, but hundreds of the libels written against her; and we have, in short, examined her life with– if we may be allowed to say so of ourselves– something of the accuracy of contemporaries, the diligence of inquirers, and the impartiality of historians, all combined; and we feel it our duty to declare, in as a solemn a manner as literature admits of, our well-matured opinion that every reproach against the morals of the queen was a gross calumny– that she was, as we have said, one of the purest of human beings."

~from History of the Guillotine by John Wilson Croker, 1844

Edmund Burke on Marie-Antoinette

"It is now sixteen or seventeen years since I saw the queen of France, then dauphiness, at Versailles; and surely there never lighted on this orb, which she hardly seemed to touch, a more delightful vision. I saw her just above the horizon, decorating and cheering the elevated sphere she had just begun to move in, glittering like a morning star full of life and splendor and joy. Oh, what a revolution....Little did I dream that I should have lived to see such disasters fall upon her, in a nation of gallant men, in a nation of men of honor and of cavaliers! I thought ten thousand swords must have leaped from their scabbards, to avenge even a look which threatened her with insult. But the age of chivalry is gone; that of sophisters, economists, and calculators has succeeded...."

~Edmund Burke, October 1790

Friday, April 1, 2022

An Entire Generation Doesn't Memorize Phone Numbers Anymore

From Southern Living:

Remember when you used to know the phone numbers of everyone in your family, your best friends, your children's school, the pediatrician, the movie theater (because you had to call for showtimes), every neighbor on your block, and the list goes on? It wasn't too long ago, but it feels like another time. Now we've got all the knowledge we need in the palm of our hands, well, until it gets misplaced, breaks, or the battery dies unexpectedly. What then?

We weren't always this way. Modern technology and the cell phones that have come along with it certainly have their perks, but they also encourage some highly dependent behaviors which would have Grandma aghast. She always taught us not to put all of our eggs in one basket, but that's clearly our current relationship status with our phones. We're stage five clingers, and we need an intervention, ASAP.

So how do we get back to a healthy level of non-dependence on our devices? It all starts with memorizing a few key phone numbers. This is especially important for the youngsters among us who have no clue what a phone book or church family directory is. Of course, you should know the numbers of your spouse or significant other and immediate family members, but outside of the basics, these are the numbers you should also commit to memory:

Doctors (dentist, primary care, dentist, etc.)
Utility companies
Children's School (the school office is a good place to start)
Babysitters
Colleagues
Church, Minister, Pastor, Priest, etc.
Neighbors

Not every number above will be necessary to memorize, depending on your situation, but there are likely a few that will help you prepare for emergencies (whether it's a true emergency or just one of the broken technology variety). It's also best practice to have a small note card stored in your wallet with important phone numbers so others can get in touch with your VIPs should you be unable to make the calls yourself. (Read more.)