The Gap

I'm not as cool thought I was.  What is cool at age twelve, is not cool at twenty three (maybe add a few years to that). I can live with that.  Where I struggle, I'm not ageless as I once thought.  Forever young, that's what I'll always be!  Nope, that's what I learned on this trip.  That generation gap will never happen to me, at least that's what I thought at eighteen, caught up with me this week.  The world is changing and I finally feel that I've got my old man pants on, I'm starting to get ornery, and I want to dig my heels in and prevent the changes.  Ugggh, so this is how my parents felt with my music?

Now, I could break down each day with details of our adventures, but this post is about The Gap, which I can summarize in two experiences, both of which made it feel virtual.  As a computer guy, you'd think I'd be all for it, more technology, more gadgets!  After experiencing two days at Universal Studios, thrill rides are now nothing more than four minute movies with seats that simulate motion and a couple of water sprayers.  Was that grumpy old man enough?  The twelve year old loved it!  The twenty three (plus a few) longed for rides that actually did something.  The technology is worth respect, but something is missing, or is this The Gap?

Our time at SeaWorld didn't suffer from too much technology, but it too has changed.  This time I blame society.  Gone is all the human interaction with the killer whales.  It's done in the name of safety, but it completely changes the message of the show.  Instead of watching this amazing interaction between a human and this huge animal which made the mind wonder what is possible, it's now simply a few tricks.  It could easily be replaced by a big screen TV and a couple of water sprayers from Universal.  Maybe the next visit, this is what it will be, The Gap.

Times change. This trip certainly made it clear to me why people get nostalgic.  The Gap is here and suddenly, I feel out of touch with the younger generations.