By Maddison Cervantes

Miranda Lambert, the country singer and songwriter, may be from a slightly older generation, having a husband and career of her own. But the majority of listeners can easily relate to what she sings about in her song, “Automatic.” What she sings about is the notion of appreciating what we have and not always wanting more. I’m guilty of this, but there is always room for improvement. Her song reminds us that taking the easy way out is often not the most genuine, and rarely the best option.

Not that I grew up in a time where I had to record the Country Countdown on a blank cassette, but there was not too long ago a time where things were still worked for and appreciated. My first car was nowhere even close to brand new, designer anything has never really been my style and my first cell phone was my mom’s hand-me-down Samsung flip, which was limited to only 400 texts a month. None of this ever bothered me because it always felt normal. At least for the people I surrounded myself with. Although, I still had it pretty good compared to Lambert since I never had to stand in line to pay for gas and whatnot.

One frightening thought is that our parents and the generations before them are the only ones who have legitimate social skills nowadays, and all this technology is not exactly helping them keep their charm. Some of us can barely have a conversation on the phone with someone, not to mention the daily challenge of small talk. A good example of this is the issue of texting. Yes, it has actually become an issue. I honestly cannot think of one legitimate reason why a 9-year-old should possess any version of an iPhone. I would love to hear a mother’s reasoning for that one. I’ve always wondered if the parents can just afford to spoil their kids, or if they simply want them out of their hair. Giving them unlimited text and Internet will undoubtedly do the trick.

Even our parents have become accustomed to our electronic ways. There is something so twisted about having your mom text you from the other room, telling you to go to sleep or turn the music down. I, for one, will never get used to that. And don’t get me started on my father and his use of voice command. Very amusing, to say the least. Our cell phones have definitely made things easier for us. They may also be life’s biggest cheat.

After all, “When everything is handed to you, it’s only worth as much as the time put in.”

All those hipsters, however, are doing a swell job of getting back into the retro way of life, what with their Polaroid cameras and record players. Props to them! But there is more to this than just style. They are definitely on the right track, but if you are going to be old-fashioned, it comes with a price. And I don’t mean a price tag. Don’t simply follow the stereotypical fashion trends that are so popular; be the trend. Let us bring back some originality and humble our society a little.

We all have a way of procrastinating and gliding through life with our heads in the clouds. But when it comes to the important aspects of life: building a career, a relationship, a family, there is really only one way to go about them, and that is with your whole heart. Cheesy, I know. But I’m sure that many can agree.

This simple song may bring up the little things in life, like shifting the gears in an old truck and hanging laundry on the line. And everyone knows that those little things tend to hold a bigger purpose. But explaining how all of these little things have transformed into what are now considered to be “automatic,” paints the picture of life as a whole changing as well. We may never make it back to the good ol’ days, where couples stayed together and people would write letters to each other; that is a given. But the simple aspects of this generation should still be appreciated for as long as they can. Because soon enough, these will be our “glory days,” and our kids will be the ones rolling their eyes.

Maddison Cervantes studies journalism. She can be reached at sself@sagebrush.unr.edu.