Following -1998- -

Following 1998, we entered the long now. Everything is recorded, archived, and optimized.

Here is the thing I miss most: The naivety. Following -1998-

The Last Polaroid Summer: Why 1997 Felt Like the End of an Era Following 1998, we entered the long now

He’s right. Before 1998, waiting was a condition of life. You waited for a letter. You waited for your favorite song to come on the radio so you could hit ‘record.’ You waited for Thursday night at 8:00 PM because if you missed Seinfeld , it was gone until summer reruns. The Last Polaroid Summer: Why 1997 Felt Like

Following 1998, silence became suspicious. If you didn’t reply to an email within 24 hours, you were negligent. If you didn’t have a mobile phone, you were eccentric. We traded the inconvenience of absence for the anxiety of availability.

Following 1998, the world didn't just change. It accelerated.

I don’t want to go back permanently. I like having the sum of human knowledge in my palm. But I miss the silence. I miss the waiting.