Is the thrill of getting a package in the mail gone?
Wednesday, October 19, 2016 at 07:17AM O-ho the Wells Fargo Wagon is a-comin' down the street,
Oh please let it be for me!
O-ho the Wells Fargo Wagon is a-comin' down the street,
I wish, I wish I knew what it could be! Music Man - "The Wells Fargo Wagon" lyrics
I send my grandchildren a package of goodies on Halloween and Valentines Day. A little candy (trying to cut back), t-shirts, some spooky toys, and this year a box of pumpkin flavored oatmeal sends just a little reminder that Grandpa is thinking about them. And selfishly gives me a chance to try out all the Halloween decorations in the store.
Despite the fact that I could bring this stuff to the kids and hand them to them in person, I again boxed this year's goodies up and mailed it.
From my own childhood, I remember the thrill of getting a package in the mail. Whether a birthday gift, something stupid ordered from the back pages of Boy's Life, or book I could not get locally, finding a package in the mailbox at the end of the driveway was really, really exciting.
But is that the case for today's kids? I wondered about this as I picked up a package of the doorstep that I knew was a set of pants hangersI had ordered online to simply save me the effort of a run to Target. Big whoop.
Had Willson's Wells-Fargo wagon come around everyday, would anyone, even in River City, Iowa, have been excited enough to sing about it?
What else has become so common place that it gets a yawn instead of a song? And more importantly, what will today's kids remember as exciting?
Reader Comments (2)
The ring of the doorbell is not as exciting as it once was. I get three notifications on my phone as a package nears delivery so I always know when to expect the UPS truck. If I'm not expecting a package the doorbell is a menacing sound that usually leads to awkward and unwanted interactions with people trying to sell something or push an agenda. I live in a pretty rural area and neighbors don't visit. I toddler who will probably grow up seeing his parents cringe at an unexpected doorbell but I hope he increases the percentage of desirable visitors. The high schoolers I work with absolutely love the feel/sound of a vibrating phone. I imagine this means of notification will give way to some other process that will leave the vibration/screen light up a nostalgic memory.
Thanks, Lawrence. I too am wary when I hear the doorbell - not that it rings in my neighborhood much. Had not thought of the thrill of a phone activating being a thrill - I tend to see that as annoyance!
Doug