Wednesday, October 28, 2009

Some themes from our trek to Albuquerque – Part Two:

Theme #2: Life has changed dramatically over the last X years.

Recall that we spent an evening at Three Island State Park in Idaho, a spot on the Oregon Trail noted for a potential river crossing for the travelers. Put yourself on the trail in a covered wagon and consider the following:

A Risky River Crossing
Upon reaching the Three Island ford, the emigrants had a difficult decision to make. Should they risk the dangerous crossing of the Snake, or endure the dry, rocky route along the south bank of the river? About half of the emigrants chose to attempt the crossing by using the gravel bars that extended across the river. Not all were successful; many casualties are recounted in pioneer diaries. The rewards of a successful crossing were a shorter route, more potable water and better feed for the stock.
The Three Island ford was used by pioneer travelers until 1869, when Gus Glenn constructed a ferry about two miles upstream.

Now put yourself on a jetliner from your hometown to Oregon, or in a modern automobile (or even a small RV) on the Interstate Highway system and consider the question – what comparable changes will the next 140 years bring to travel?

Go back again to the pictures of the cliff dwellings and recognize the extreme difficulty – each young child must learn to master cliff side climbing using hand and toe holds, must learn hunting or farming for bare subsistence, must live or die without medical attention, etc. You can easily conceive of many more difficulties of life in cliff dwelling times. Now ask yourself the question "What changes in lifestyle, comparable to the changes over the past 1400 years, from cliff dwelling times to the television and Internet of today, will take place over the next 1400 years?"

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