Little Boy and the Reflection of the Past
Once upon a time there was a young boy who found himself standing in a room with only a big old television. The television was an ancient relic, the kind that used to be commonplace in homes. It had those thick curved edges and fat screens that make you think of a bygone era of technology.
The boy ran his hands across the surface of the bulky machine, feeling its smooth texture beneath his fingertips as he tried to wrap his head around what he was seeing. It seemed like something out of a dream or a distant memory, something he'd seen before but couldn't quite remember when or why.
He thought back to childhood days spent watching cartoons and playing video games on newer TVs--flatter ones with sharp edges and crystal clear images--wondering how different life must have been for people who had grown up with these older devices in their lives. He marveled at how far technology had come in such a short amount of time and wondered how much further it would go in the future.
It wasn't until he pressed the power button and saw the old TV flicker to life before him that reality truly set in: this thing was real, it wasn't just some relic from history's past; it still worked, at least for now, although who knows for how long? The boy smiled as he flipped through channels, even catching glimpses of shows from decades ago that he hadn't seen since childhood.
Suddenly, he felt connected to this ancient piece of technology, like it represented all that came before it; all the people who had once enjoyed its services but whose presence was no longer felt in this world. He felt an immense respect for this old machine, as if he could somehow see traces of everyone else's past within its wires and circuits--a living reminder of all that has come before us and all that is yet to come.
