TThe late and great Slim Dusty’s 100th album was Looking Forward, Looking Back, which features a song by that name as well. You can hear it and see it by clicking on:
It contains the lyrics:
Looking forward, looking back
I've come a long way down the track
Got a long way left to go
…
There are strange days
Full of change on the way
But we'll be fine, unlike some
I'll be leaning forward, to see what's coming
I was reminded of those lyrics when I read an email sent to me by friend John P. The email looked at the world 100 years ago and speculated on what it may be like in 100 years from now.
Thanks for the contribution, John.
Change is exponential: the more we invent, discover and learn, the faster and greater the changes that follow. Gutenberg invented the movable-type printing press less than 600 years ago; the Wright Brothers flew the first powered heavier-than-air aircraft less than 120 years ago . . .
The Year is 1922
Here are some statistics for Year 1922:
The average life expectancy for men was 47 years.
Fuel for cars was sold in drug stores only.
Only 14 percent of homes had a bathtub.
Only 8 percent of homes had a telephone.
18 percent of households had at least one full-time servant or domestic help.
The maximum speed limit in most cities was 10 mph.
The tallest structure in the world was the Eiffel Tower.
The average US wage in 1922 was 22 cents per hour.
The average US worker made between $200 and $400 per year.
A competent accountant could expect to earn $2,000 per year.
A dentist earned $2,500 per year.
A veterinarian between $1,500 and 4,000 per year.
And, a mechanical engineer about $5,000 per year.
Sugar cost four cents a pound.
Eggs were fourteen cents a dozen.
Coffee was fifteen cents a pound.
Most women washed their hair once a month ...
And, used Borax or egg yolks for shampoo.
Crossword puzzles, canned beer, and iced tea hadn't been invented yet.
There was neither a Mother's Day nor Father's Day.
Two out of every 10 adults couldn't read or write ...
And, only 6 percent of all Americans had graduated from high school.
More than 95 percent of all births took place at home.
Ninety percent of all Doctors had NO COLLEGE EDUCATION!
Instead, they attended so-called medical schools, many of which were condemned in the press AND in the government as "substandard." Marijuana, heroin, and morphine were available over the counter at local drug stores. Back then pharmacists said: "Heroin clears the complexion, gives buoyancy to the mind, regulates the stomach, bowels, and is a perfect guardian of health!" (Shocking?)
The leading causes of death were:
1 Pneumonia and influenza.
2 Tuberculosis.
3 Diarrhoea.
4 Heart disease.
5 Stroke
Canada passed a law prohibiting poor people from entering the country for any reason.
The American flag had 45 stars; the population of Las Vegas, Nevada, was 30.
There were about 230 reported murders in the ENTIRE U.S.A.
I am now going to forward this to someone else without typing it myself.
It will be sent to others all over the world all in a matter of seconds!
It is impossible to imagine what it may be like in another 100 years.
"Just living the dream..."
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