The Past Meets The Future
Disclaimer: This is just a fun post about spring and does not pertain to online business.
Spring is finally here in the Northern Hemisphere and that means everything is reawakening after a long, cold winter. Trees are budding, flowers are starting to bloom and colorful, migratory birds are passing through.
It is also a time to enjoy the cherry blossoms for a brief time.
In Japan, there is a long history of worshipping these beautiful flowers. People there actually have flower-watching parties called hanami.
Sakura blossoms represent birth and death as well as beauty and brutality. Cherry blossoms were actually painted onto kamikaze planes during WWII.
Washington D.C. is famous for its cherry trees that were given as a friendship present from Japan in 1912. As I've always wanted to see cherry trees blooming, today my son and I went to visit 2 nearby parks that are now in bloom.
The first park was rather small, but had a nice tree-lined pathway that was beautiful to view. Best of all, it was not crowded at all.
Unfortunately, the sun was hiding. Otherwise, this would have been quite a colorful photo.
After a quick walk through this park, we went on to a Japanese garden that was a tranquil surprise amidst the bustling city. It was like a mini-trip to Japan.
Taking a walk through this meditative garden made me think of history. Gardens like these have existed for centuries.
They are places of refuge from the noisy, daily grind where people can contemplate and reflect on life.
As I thought about this, I was trying to unwind from the grueling traffic and roadwork we had just driven through for the past hour. Trying to be zen when heavy machinery was drilling on the road in the background didn't quite match the tone of this beautiful spot.
That's when the juxtaposition of old world versus new world dawned on me. And this point was further instilled when my son and I went for a late breakfast at Denny's afterwards, and our food was delivered via robot!
Suddenly, I heard cute music playing and then noticed this THING moving towards our table blinking its digital "eyes." After we lifted off our food from its trays, it quietly retreated back to the kitchen. That was a first!
Technology can be a helpful thing, but I couldn't help but think about how machines like this will soon be displacing many jobs. I asked our server about this and she responded by saying the kids love them, but luckily nobody had lost their job...yet.
On our way back home, we zig zagged through traffic and roadwork, saw jumbo jets flying overhead, and passed by many modern new apartment towers.
From old world gardens to futuristic robots, this day reminded me how the times are constantly changing.
If we stay still in business, we surely will miss out on the future, too.
However, it's always important to remember to find a way to preserve your sanity, whether that be a walk in nature or doing something that brings you peace.
I hope you have a wonderful day. Thanks for spending a few moments here.
Susan
Recent Comments
41
Great images and especially that robot that made eye contact with you after getting your breakfast. :)
Have a great weekend ahead!
Myra
The robot was crazy, Myra. I wasn't the only one taking pics of it in the restaurant lol. Thanks for dropping by. Have a great weekend, too!
Oh wow, Susan! Excellent images and a great post about it! No matter what, I still long for the good old days, but times, they are a'changin! Lets hope that the changes do more good than harm!
It seems like you have had an excellent day!
Jeff🤠
I agree with you, Jeff as I do too! I have one foot in the past and one in the future. Let's hope the good is still to come. Regardless, any day I get to spend with my son, is tops in my books. Thanks for your kind words, my friend! 🌼
I hope there is still good to come, Susan, but sometimes, I am not so sure! I imagine anytime you can be with your son is the best!
You're very welcome, and Happy Mother's day in advance of my MD post on Sunday!
Jeff🌞
I hope so too, Jeff, as I share your sentiments and concerns. 🙏Yes, any time I can get with my son is precious to me.
That's very sweet of you to say and I truly appreciate the HMD wishes in advance. 🌝
Thanks, Susan! I trulty try not to think about it so often and instead remain busy, but I keep thinking of all the irreplacable time slipping away!
You're very welcome! How old is your son?
Jeff🤠
Spending too much time thinking about all of it is too stressful. You are right about time fleeting! My son is 21 :-)
You are right!...too bad we don't realize these things sooner, but maybe that's why we appreciate more later on. 😁
A lovely post with some great photos, Susan. We of course are in the middle of our Autumn, with the deciduous trees down South turning their beautiful Autumn colors. Where I live is sub-tropical so we only have evergreens but the water is still warm enough for swimming.
Thank you so much, Phil for your kind words. I can imagine that your Autumn would now be quite spectacular. Lucky you that the water is still warm...that sounds terrific, as even on the hottest day here, the lakes are never warm. I appreciate you dropping by.
It's to do with the size of Australia. Warm in the North, cold in the South. You could literally go scuba diving on the Great Barrier Reef, hop in a plane and be skiing in snowfields a few hours later.
I actually have done what I previously described. I was out to impress my new in-laws from the UK. Mind, this was over 30 years ago!
Well, that IS very impressive. I've heard of people doing this but now I can say I know someone who actually has! Fabulous 👍
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Your pics were beautiful even without the sun shining. Those curvy apartment towers looked organic, like they grew out of the earth ha!
The robot at Denny’s floored me. I wonder when robots like these will be designed to look like humans!
I enjoyed reading your post so much Susan.
Cheers.
Edwin
Thank you so much for your lovely comments, Edwin. It is very much appreciated. Trying to get the right sunlight for pictures is no easy task. However, it is always something I strive for to improve the overall look.
The apartments were most unusual, but I liked their organic feel as well. Made me think of salt and pepper shakers lol. As for the robot, I couldn't believe what I was seeing. I can imagine in time, they will look human-like. Not sure that's a good thing. One may be coming to a Denny's near you :-)
Take care,
Susan
I’ll be looking out for the robot at Denny’s ha!