After reading “Once More to the Lake,” I noticed E. B. White’s adverse perspective towards new inventions and changes. “Peace and goodness and jollity. The only thing that was wrong now, really, was the sound of the place, an unfamiliar nervous sound of the outboard motors,” emphasizing his hatred towards technological improvements. Further supporting his point, he added “But now the campers all had outboards. In the daytime, in the hot mornings, these motors made a petulant, irritable sound; at night in the still evening when the afterglow lit the water, they whined about one’s ears like mosquitoes.” He seems to dislike new things.

I have to say, I don’t share his thought pattern and mind set. Technology has been changing our lives every second time passes. Without technology, we would be far behind even compared to the Dark Ages. The invention of the plow made farming more feasible and allowed more people to be fed. Many technologies make things more efficiently. The outboard motors make boats run quicker. The internet simplifies the process of communication. Computers with word processing software simplify the process of drafting documents and also in a professional manner. If White had seen computers, I bet he would complain about the sound of keys being tapped and mice being clicked.

All types of change are good. Especially fast change. Another example could be the city of Hong Kong. The city-state doesn’t have to fulfill the demands of various layers of bureaucracy so things can get done quickly. Every year you can take a look at Hong Kong skyline from across the harbor from Kowloon. You will see many stunning changes. The reclamation and demolition of new buildings in exchange for new construction is positive. You get a more picturesque skyline and new buildings generally create a more active economy with more jobs for people. Postcard photographers get more pictures to shoot; people come to observe new contemporary architecture. E. B. White would complain and protest about the differences. But, people make life interesting and environments vibrant for all.

All of this is contrary to the beliefs of E. B. White. Through research and development, technology is constantly improving and the knowledge of humanity continues to expand each day. Such changes benefit society as a whole.

Text_ADRIAN.