DAY 3 – THE MODERN WORLD (THOSE WHO DO BENEFIT)

I have been given an assignment in my eighth grade class to do a report about how human life is different today than it was in the eighteenth century. I started this off by observing people in my town. I looked at the types of homes we live in, the types of jobs we have and how we move about. It became obvious that myself and my neighbors are the beneficiaries of what a modern world can bring.

A modern world enables people around the planet to live in houses with indoor lighting, plumbing, heating and cooling systems that are simply accessed by turning on a switch. Going to a local supermarket allows those same individuals to enjoy various types of foods that they would never otherwise have. Watching shows, movies and world news on television in their own home provides entertainment and information.

Those who are fortunate human beings can enjoy ourselves in ways our ancestors never could. The ability to get on an airplane and access the world in a few hours is unprecedented in human history. Going thousands of miles away to take a vacation to far off destinations gives a first hand experience that becomes uplifting to our spirit. We can also take a car, bus or train to visit museums, libraries, sports venues, movie theaters, stadiums or engage in personal athletic activities.

Living in a modern world also allows people to benefit from the latest in medical discoveries. When people get sick there are doctors who give them medicine to remedy their illnesses. When someone needs emergency care or surgery to help them ambulances rush them to a hospital where the staff of doctors and nurses come to their aid.

For all of this to happen governments and businesses have built roads which we travel on and pipelines which carry water, gas and oil into our communities. Other pipelines remove sewage from our homes and workplaces. Cables carrying electricity to light our homes, offices and streets enable us to see when it is dark. All of these networks have become an essential component of the modern world.

It is now two weeks later and we are discussing in class what we have found. After hearing what everyone has said I now realize that I have been fortunate to do and have the things that a modern world provides.