Today's challenge is really interesting - Pick an ancestor from the 1800's and drop him/her into today and as your ancestor write a letter to family members back in the 1800's. How would he describe today? What surprises him? What questions would he have?
Dear Mary Ann,
Holy cow! I don't know what happened but I seem to have been transported in time to a strange place. I think its Nashville, I recognize the courthouse, but everything is so different! The streets are mostly the same, but the houses are so different. I went by our home only to find the lot is empty and a huge building next door. Our lot has some black substance on it that is very hard and there are what I can only call horse-free carriages parked all over it. The buildings I see are so tall I cannot imagine how someone climbed up to build them. They must use some sort of engine to lift the workers up while they are building them.
I am absolutely shocked by the clothing people are wearing. Some of the men have shirts with vulgar sayings on them and dungarees, but the dungarees have holes in them and I can't imagine why they would wear them in public. I see young men with their pants on their thighs with their underwear showing - why in the world would they do this? How can they run with their pants hanging down like that? There are also business men wearing suits but they carry this device they speak into and use their fingers to make it do other things. I see a lot of people with these things. No one is paying attention to one another and sometimes I see them walk right onto the street without looking up. How foolish are these people? If one of those horse-free carriages comes along, they are bound to be hit!
The ladies ( if I can even call them that) are even worse! They have no decorum, they look like ladies of the night. Some wear tops that show their stomach or their bosom and wear their pants so low I am afraid to look! They are not wearing a camisole, but wearing what looks like undergarments on the outside. How can they look at themselves dressed like this? They too carry that device I spoke of even when with friends. No one is talking to their companions, they are too consumed by this device.
I do not see any horses around, but there is a strange contraption that flies through the air. It makes me think of some of the prophecies in the Bible. I don't understand how something so big can float in the sky.
I have gone to a few of the stores. There are so many things to buy. How could you possibly need all these things? They have handyman stores that are so big and sell so many things you could spend days looking at everything. They even have something called a mall which has dozens of stores all under one roof. There is a hotel called the Gaylord that is nothing short of amazing! It has windows even on top of the building so you can see the sky, but you are kept out of the weather.
One thing that is curious is that I don't see children playing outside with each other - even they have the devices I mentioned earlier. There are so many people who are overweight, not by a little Mary Ann, but very big people. I think it must be because of that darned device, it keeps people from doing things that are healthy. I see people running places, but I think not having to do things by hand keeps many of the people from doing work that is good for them.
I have been going to church and it is very different from ours. They do not sing our beautiful hymns any more. Instead they have electrified guitars and drums and people who lead the singing of songs that are very repetitive. I don't think there is much to the words and I wonder why they felt the need to take away our thoughtful hymns. I see some of the churches don't have very many people, don't people believe in God anymore? That surely worries me.
There are some things I like about this world, certainly indoor toilets and bathtubs with water that you don't have to haul in and warm on the stove is very nice! Some of the foods are from other countries and actually quite nice to taste. My bed is wonderful and soft, I feel like I am in a dream and perhaps I am. I miss you and the children so much and I pray I find a way back to you. I love you Mary Ann.
Love
Sam
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