This week it was announced that the PT Cruiser, the retro car of the Chrysler Corporation was going out of production. It was a creative, cute vehicle for a short period of time, but, like most anachronistic constructions, its tenure was limited. I, like many, was fascinated with the Cruiser when it was introduced in the late 90′s, but was never driven to own one. Living in the Detroit area at the time, it developed a reputation for being the car that many Chrysler executives brought home to their spouses. Therefore, the common thinking related, it must be a good vehicle to own. As it turned out, maybe that said more about the age and orientation of the management of Chrysler than anything else.
There is an organization called the Society for Creative Anachronism which is dedicated to the re-enactment of medieval living as a hobby. My experience with the organization exposed me to people who were, for the most part, bright, academic and somewhat quirky. They loved to dress in the style of medieval folk, create and eat foods of the Middle Ages, and drink lots of medieval brew. Their fascination with sword fighting, jousting, and similar events was colorful and enjoyable to watch. Again, however, I was never drawn to want to join their ranks.
Anachronisms are elements that belong to an earlier era. They are instructive, in the sense of relating a sometimes purer form of life prior to the development of modernisms. As such, they may be a form of denial of progress. A piece on MSN.com yesterday related to such anachronisms as typewriters, mimeograph machines, and dial telephones. There is something romantic and nostalgic about seeing those items and even touching them, but I don’t think many of us are driven to go back to them and forfeit the computers, copiers, and cell phones of today.
Some of our language is anachronistic without necessarily meaning to be. For instance, when is the last time that a musician actually “cut a record” or created “an album?” Yet that language persists in the industry.
Nostalgia for earlier, simpler times is commendable, but that’s why there are places like Williamsburgh, VA; Plimouth Plantation, MA; and the Farmer’s Museum in Cooperstown, NY. Quaint villages like Wickford, RI, and Salem Village, MA, have something to offer in terms of tourism and costly housing. I’d hate to see them disappear.
But it will not be our emotional attachment to the past which will propel this nation forward economically or even socially. We may be guided by past experiences and practices…and even morals and ethics…but there is a danger in embracing the past to the exclusion of the future. The secret will be to see anachronisms for what they are and not lull ourselves into believing that they will carry us to new levels of stability or places of healthy progress.
Photo Credit: creativecommons.org
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I had always thought that anachronism was when an item was mentioned before it actually existed. Such as seeing a rolex watch in a clip of the movie “Glory.” Thank you for bringing this second meaning of the word to mind, and for the sensible suggestion of not allowing nostalgia to stall our progress!