In the shadow of technology
Admittedly, I haven’t really grasped the naming of historic periods after royalty. I also haven’t grasped the whole relevance of royalty, which might explain a lot. However, today I matched the lives of my grandparents to that of Edwardian children. Allows me to situate them on a timeline. And after watching a couple of documentaries, I am glad that they lived in rural PEI, with little access to new technologies. It’s a wonder that any of us exist, given the interesting ways of bringing a lifespan to a halt.
This was a period of rapid technological progress. In one lifetime, folks got better heating, better plumbing, the lights (not PEI). And with each advance, inexperienced homeowners did silly thing.
Imagine if you could install your own electricity, without breaking any regulations. Imagine that there were no regulations. Imagine going from buckets of water from an outside well, to a tap that provided unlimited water. Imagine that running through the house. Imagine going from slabs of wood in a small stove, to gas heat. Imagine the explosions.
Yes, here on the Island, we escaped the major risks, although the news came through, from our beloved Guardian/Patriot. We still burned our houses down, but without high drama. Flooding the home was unlikely. And the lights? Much later, after the risks were known. We did have trains, with collisions. And we did have shipwrecks, despite lighthouses. On the whole, though, my grandparents had fewer risks due to new advances. Proof: they all lived into my lifetime.
I have come across most of the risk factors cited in the documentaries. Not the effects. I grew up in relative safety. Actually, my forebears escaped Europe at an opportune time. Proof: I am here, unscathed. That’s the best thing about history.
