One of the greatest thrills I had as a child was when my teacher would announce that we were going to watch a film -- from the dousing of the lights to the flut-flut-flut-flut of the projector as it rolled to life, to the screen igniting in hues of grey. It didn’t matter if it was about “Pecos Bill” or about the life cycle of the amoeba, if it was a film, I was happy. One of my favorites focused on the future -- the housewife dressed appropriately in high heals and pearls, slipping a turkey into a small oven, only to remove it fully cooked three seconds later.
This is the world of 1985! the narrator would announce. Neato! a child of six would think. And the flying cars! And the weekend trips to the moon! No one could have convinced me back then that by 2012 we wouldn’t have weekend trips to the moon. If those films had been prophetic -- truly prophetic -- can you imagine their content?
Copyright 1952; School Films Inc. Narrator: Join with me as we venture 60 years into the world of tomorrow! The world of 2012! A rotund man with a large, white mustache walks on screen wearing a one-piece suit and large gloves with swirls on the cuffs denoting atoms. He’s dressed in knee-high boots and has a strange logo affixed to his shirt that looks a bit like a rocket. Lt. Moonbeam: Hello, boys and girls! My name is Lt. Ben Moonbeam, and I’m going to be your guide into 2012! Are you ready take a peak into the future? You are? Then let’s go! Scene switches to a teen-age boy sitting in a chair talking on a telephone. Timmy: Gee, Mary. I was just wondering … what I mean to say is … I’d really like … Voice of Timmy’s mother: Timmy? Did you take out the garbage? Timmy: Would you like…? Aw, gee. Never mind, Mary. I have to go. Lt. Moonbeam: Did you notice, children? Timmy had to hang up the telephone and wasn’t able to gather up the nerve to ask Mary to the big dance. …But what would happen if this were 2012? Lt. Moonbeam waves his magic wand at Timmy. Suddenly the telephone disappears, and in its place is a device about the size of a wallet. Timmy sees the strange object and looks up at Lt. Moonbeam. Timmy: Wow! What’s this? And who are you? Lt. Moonbeam: Why, I’m Lt. Moonbeam! And that’s a smart-phone! It can facilitate web browsing, and streaming media. Their advanced operating systems give you access to a host of applications: productivity tools, shopping, multimedia, games, travel, news, weather, social, finance, references, etc…! Timmy: Wow! That’s keen! Can I still call Mary? Lt. Moonbeam: Ha ha ha. No, Timmy. We don’t talk in the future! But you can text her! In fact, you don’t need to talk to any of your friends any more! Timmy: Jeepers, that’s great! I’m going to get busy texting right now! Lt. Moonbeam: Don’t forget the garbage! Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha. Ha ha ha ha ha ha. Seriously. Lt. Moonbeam addresses the camera. Lt. Moonbeam: Okay, children! Are you ready for another great adventure! Let’s go! A blanket sets over an outdoor picnic table and we can hear a child inside. He is pretending to be in some sort of fort, barking orders to an imaginary army. Lt. Moonbeam: Hey, Billy! What would you say if I told you that you didn’t have to play outdoors anymore? Billy: Billy lifts a flap and pokes his head out. Golly! That would be swell! Lt. Moonbeam: And what would you think if, while not playing outdoors, you could have a whole army, right at your finger tips! What would you say to that, Billy? Before Billy can answer, Lt. Moonbeam waves his magic wand. Suddenly Billy is sitting on a sofa in front of a television holding a device. Billy: Wow! What’s this thing? Lt. Moonbeam: It’s an eighth generation video game console that is able to produce glasses-free stereoscopic 3D graphics, Billy! And that game you’re playing? Well, let’s just say you don’t have to waste time imagining things any more! Billy: Golly, Lt. Moonbeam! It’s so real! What ... What’s that guy holding? Lt. Moonbeam: Why, that’s a flame-thrower, Billy! Just one in your arsenal of weapons! I bet you never thought playing Army could be so much fun! Billy: I’ll say! Jeepers, Lt. Moonbeam, can I stay in 2012 forever? Lt. Moonbeam: Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha. No.
As a young child, I would have been thrilled with this vision of the future. Would my teacher, or my parents, have been prophetic enough to see the consequences? Remember, that was a time when cigarettes weren’t widely considered dangerous. Now imagine, if instead of peering into the future, the class looked into the past. Imagine the class taking a field trip to a senior citizen group at a parish where they asked them about life 60 years ago -- in 1892 -- about the “golden days”-- the games they played when they were little, how the seniors lived in a world without telephones, electricity, or cars. Learning how to live without: what a great lesson in today’s age of electronic excess. Perhaps the seniors could even teach the students a hymn, or they could pray together. Not only would the students receive a good dose of wisdom, but in doing so they would be reaching out in love to the elderly -- a sometimes lonely voice ever so thankful for the listening ear of a child. Talk, listen, ask, reach out in love, learn, teach, sing, proclaim, pray and even play -- face-to-face. Enjoy and truly celebrate God’s wondrous gift -- a gift of great price that costs nothing -- the gift of each other.
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