I am occasionally saddened to remember we still live in the present. Perhaps that's an odd thing to say, but surely I'm not the only one. I've had countless discussions lamenting the decreasing likelihood of flying cars being widely available in eight years, as Back to the Future"" prophesized, and let's not even get started on how disappointing 2001 was. We're bombarded by technology so often - whether communication, entertainment, or, all too often, love - we assume that we, as a culture, have got it going on. When we see proof to the contrary, well, it sucks. This, of course, brings me to last weekend's weather.
Perhaps it's all my sci-fi experience, but when it actually rains or snows on me, I'm a little surprised. ""Dude,"" I say to the heavens, ""this is so 15th century. Don't we have something to fix this yet?"" Despite our superior technology and civilized way of life, the weather is still something we have got to deal with, just like our ancestors did.
Sometimes, as Katrina and Vesuvius have proven, all the technology in the world is of little value when it comes to surviving the elements. Even mild weather, like last weekend's snow and ice storms, is enough to ruin a well-planned day. While trying to go to the theater Saturday, I was constantly thwarted by the weather: ice made me slip, snow made the buses hours late and sleet made me cranky. As a result, I had to catch a later showing (of The Mist, incidentally), which meant I'd have to shell out the big bucks for a cab ride home. The proverbial icicle that broke the camel's back came when I discovered cab companies, too afraid to venture onto the icy night, weren't offering services Saturday night, leaving me stranded.
My cell's battery had died shortly after I fell on it, and the theater was closing up. Suddenly, there I was, in my ancestors' shoes: just me, my wits and nature. Not only did I lack the modern conveniences of a car or phone. It looked bleak.
That's when I turned to the oldest form of technology there was: asking for help.
A nice enough looking couple was about to leave the theater around the time the cab companies finished laughing at me, and, being cold and desperate, I went up and asked for a lift. They agreed, and before I knew it I was home, grateful for central heating and really nice people. It just goes to show that, even though technology and a high-tech culture are very cool, they're not always as important as we think.
Of course, a flying car would've gotten me home too, and it would've been a lot cooler.
If you want to share stories about strangers helping you when winter weather had you stranded, e-mail Bill at science@dailycardinal.com.
