It is not like it used to be

A visitor in my office recently made a statement that you cannot do things like you did 10 years ago. He included farming in this that farmers cannot do things like they did 10 years ago.

I commented to another visitor about what the previous visitor said. He added it is not the same as it was 6 years ago.

Personally, changes are rather difficult and undesirable. That is even having a career in a change agency. Changes were promoted, yet many of the workers did not like change. We are in a changing society and we have to recognize it. There are so many gadgets in our society that it is hard to believe. The technology that is being taught in the schools is unbelievable to many of us. Still, young people have grown up with it and they do not think anything about it.

Things have changed, especially during the last several decades. This was especially driven home to me last Friday night at the Nevada game. It was on the field that I played on when I was in high school (though most of the time I was on the bench). I had been by the field many times and saw the facilities that were there, but did not think anything about it. As far as I can remember, I had not seen a game there for well over 50 years.

I thought about how it was in the late '40s and in 1950. The lights were not near as bright as they are now. The score board was by hand at that time. The loud speaker was entirely different. Most of the spectators stood; there were only a few bleachers. There were not nearly as many people there as it was Friday night. The way football is played is much different than it was at that time. It is an entirely different place than it was at that time, though the same location.

Friday night, I did not see one person from my home town that I knew, and most likely none attending the game from my home town knew me. Last year I visited with some whom knew at the game that was played in Nevada. Yes, there have been changes.

Last year when we were out in the Denver and Boulder area, we saw many large and nice homes. Even though many of them are now in foreclosure, I was wondering what those people did that they were able to have homes like that. The answer received was technology. They had jobs in technology.

Homes in Ireland are small. There is beginning to be large homes built in Ireland similar to the larger homes in our area. The older Irishman is asking why they need such a large home, what are they going to do with all of that room. The people with these larger homes are able to live in them as a result of technology.

You do not have to live in a metropolitan area to work in technology. As a matter of fact there are many people now working at home on their computers and never appears where the firm is located. Technology can pop up most any where. There are industries in our area that are using technology. Most of the more progressive farmers are using technology. Is there something that we can do to promote the technology enterprises in our area? If there is it could have a major impact on economic development for our area.

Many in the community do not realize the benefits arrived in the community from tourism. When the idea is mentioned, some want to blow it off. It is important to our economy and all benefit from bringing people to the community.

Tourism is growing and the possibilities are nearly unlimited. All of the motels and the bed and breakfast are reporting that they have had a bigger year this year. One of the motels will soon be adding additional rooms and this will help to accommodate more people visiting our community.

If you have not read Greg Hoffman's letter to the editor that was published in The Nevada Daily Mail last Wednesday, you need to read it. This letter had a great deal of thought in it and it was well written. He wrote about the alternatives that the YMCA has in the addition of a swimming pool.

If the community could develop a six lane indoor swimming pool, it will have an economic impact on this community as swimming meets would be held that would bring in a large number of people.

Building that type of a pool could be built there is a possibility that a bid would be made to hold the tri-state meet. That would be tremendous. A three lane where a limited number could practice would help, but meets could not be held and the community and the organization could not gain from the possible impact. There are a mixture of thoughts, including some are suggesting that if the Y cannot build the six lane pool as originally announced and planned, then the pool should not be built until it can be funded.

Many of us do not realize that there have been many changes in our community. These changes are being made before our eyes. People who have returned to our community make comments about the vast amount of changes made. There have been many changes in the past 50 years; it is not like it was. It is not as it was 10 years ago; 6 years ago.

As a community we have to evaluate ourselves and see where we want to go. There will be many changes ahead and we cannot do in the future what we have done in the past or what we are doing now. Really, it is not like it was.