I spend a lot my time (in my imagination) in a world where technology hasn’t advanced past the level enjoyed in Europe in the 16th and 17th centuries. I think maybe that exercise helps me retain some degree of appreciation for the magic we can wield in the contemporary world. And yeah, I think ‘magic’ is the right word. Consider:
I can reach into the most extensive library imaginable and pull out books and documents from throughout the ages, in every language spoken on the planet.
I can summon up a limitless cast of players, eager to perform all comedies and tragedies great and smallish by daylight, or in moonlight, and even on a day when the rain barrels from the sky.
I can make a few gestures over an image of a loved one stuck anywhere on the planet and not only can I speak with her but I can see the expression on her face when I tell her ‘I love you.’
Don’t get me started on the miracle that is contemporary plumbing.
