He stood at the forge, a mug in his hand. The blacksmith’s fire was down to red coals, and a kettle of coffee hung from the crosspiece.”
–Paul Bagdon (Stallions of Burnt Rock)
Grab yurself a cup, Pard, coffee’s hot and strong. It’ll tickle yur tonsils on the way down to yur gizzard. Here’s a toast to progress. Hey now, don’t be a-snortin’ in yur coffee! Don’t be cleanin’ it up with yur ‘kerchief, I’ve got a towel hangin’ on the stove. Sorry, didn’t know that I’d surprise yuh that much. Yuh don’t think I like progress?
Ahhh, that coffee is good! But let me tell yuh ’bout progress. It’s one of those things that’s gonna happen, sorta like the weather. There ain’t much that can be done ’bout it. Progress is like weather in other ways too. Sometimes the weather is bad, and sure ‘nough there’s quite a few things in progress that ain’t so good either. Why progress can bring out the idiots and the fools that follow the fads.
Say, Pard, what did yuh do before cell phones? Yeah, yeah, I know, yuh think I was fur ‘nough back that I used smoke signals. Ha, perhaps back then we didn’t have as much to talk about as folks do these days. Those fancy phones are a product of progress, and they’re like the weather as well; they can be used for good or bad. They sure do take up too much time. Can yuh imagine an ol’ pioneer walkin’ with his nose down in a phone? Why, he’d be lible to step on a snake, or tripped up by a snare. ‘Course it can happen to us as well, for the ol’ devil sure has plenty of rattlers around and has laid plenty of traps for us. If’n we don’t take notice, well, bad things can surely happen.
My eldest just purchased a new vehicle. From what I’ve been tolt; it has all the bells and whistles a person could want. I was just thinkin’ before she bought it that I’d like to have my ol’ truck back, with four on the floor. Or a truck with a 3-speed on the column. All I’d want is air conditioning, and that’s a good thing from progress. I really don’t want a standard no more, my leg isn’t up to pushin’ in an’ out the clutch. But the idea suits me.
‘Nother cup? Why sure, we gotta get this pot drunk. Now, ’bout ideas. I’m ‘fraid not many ideas are much about progress as about agendas and destroyin’ the good and decency of the Lord’s ideas. Those ideas are for the most part to get our focus off the things of God. The devil wants the focus to be on ourselves, or on the destructive forces that he has out there. The Prophet Jeremiah tells us to stick to the old paths, the good way and walk in it. Then yu’ll find rest, yuh won’t be frettin’ and stewin’ and worryin’ over stuff–stuff like progress.
Some things are tried and true and nothin’ will make them any better. Why just think, if’n yuh didn’t have the good habit of checkin’ yur cinch, where might yuh end up? Maybe some day they have some kind of AI to help yuh cinch up.
Vaya con Dios.