HECTOR HERNANDEZ | news editor
In modern times, people continually draw themselves to the newest thing, the newest trend. We place an emphasis and high value on change and moving forward. This is good and exciting because we do live in an age of fast expansion and growth in knowledge and technology, but we should be careful that in our looking forward we do not forget to look back.
I say get out and try something old before you try something new. People place so much emphasis on trying new things but we are so far ahead in the timeline that it would seem we have so much more of the old to try out and catch up on. Just about all of the best is from the old, whether it be films, music or architecture. It would be pretty presumptuous to think that the best of everything can only come from our own lifetimes.
The areas where people know and accept this is in literature and many of the arts. From childhood, we are read to from ancient fairytales and throughout education we are assigned literature written way before our existence.
A few hints for trying something old are: watch black–and–white films; read old genres—this could be the science fiction of the ‘50s or the noir of the ‘30s—and expand the timeline of your music choices by going back a few decades.
Unfortunately, I have come across several people who intentionally kept themselves from watching black–and–white movies. Their idea is that since the movies are dated are not in the modern medium of color, the old movies cannot be relevant, interesting or thrilling in comparison to today’s color, and special–effects laden blockbusters. This unfortunate misconception has kept thrill fans from many of film’s greatest thrills. Classic suspense films, some of which are in color, can be quite crafty in speeding up hearts and inducing screams. Try some Hitchcock or classic film noir.
As for music, expand your playlist. Great music is present in any era. If you listen to the music created in your lifetime, try listening to the music in your parent’s lifetime. If you listen to ‘60s rock and classic jazz try moving further back into blues or classical eras. Time tests quality and weeds out the mediocre so when you try something old, it will be worth it since it has remained significant today.
Here’s another one: how about getting your news from a newspaper? That was the way it was done in the old days before television and entertainment news. Try reading your news rather than watching it. This is not just some plug for The Clause; get a Los Angeles Times or San Gabriel Tribune. It can be satisfying to open up a paper and read the news for yourself rather than having someone else read it to you from a teleprompter.
We should take advantage of living in modern times and coming so late in history by soaking up as much as we can from the past. After all, we have more of it now than any other generation that lived before us.
