In these days of space exploration looking farther and deeper into the possible trips into the outer-deep space, maybe in the generations of middle age, we’ve proven ourselves wrong in early predictions. That is, with the exception of the comic books and the Sunday funny papers.
From the heading of predictions from some usually reliable sources, these have been uncovered:
In 1936, the New York Times panned space travel concluding, “a rocket will never be able to leave the Earth’s atmosphere.”
In 1938, Fortune Magazine had this to say: “Few scientists foresee any serious or practical use for Atomic Energy. They regard the splitting experiments as useful steps in trying to explain the atom more accurately, not as the key to unlocking any new or additional power.”
In 1939, the New York Times argued, “The problem with television is that people must set and keep their eyes glued to a screen, the average family doesn’t have time for it arguing that television would never be a competitor for broadcasting.”
In 1966, “Remote shopping, while entirely feasible, will flop, declared Time magazine. Patronizingly they added, “Women like to get out of the house, like to handle merchandise and like to be able to change their minds.”
In 1995, InfoWorld published a column concluding that the Internet would soon go spectacularly supernova and in 1996 catastrophically collapse.
If you wanted to go to a McDonald’s, travel wouldn’t cause you much concern. There are 13,381 of them in the United States, 3,598 in Japan, 1,400 in Canada, 1,276 in Germany, 1,250 in Britain and 660 in China. At least that’s in the last count.
You might not think much of this one, but Bill Mahr said recently, “The Government did more in 1812 without electronics than it is doing today.”
Recreation past days Early manhood found
Early manhood found many of us in the doldrums so far as recreation was concerned.
An early experience in Rotary found the late Carter Koon and I appointed to a committee to meet with a pastor and school superintendent after a young lady had sought help in establishing a teen town for the young people of the community.
We were told at the beginning the stand in opposition the other two would take. The next club meeting,
The next club meeting, at Barry Hotel, a response from the committee was called for with the self-ap pointed pastor giving a no decision response.
That’s when Carter jumped to his feet giving a 2-2 stand in the committee.
This was in the days of “no dancing attitudes” almost throughout Barry County.
Skating rinks arrived
Finally, recreation arrived for several stages, in Roller Rinks at two different times.
First was by Flimm Wasson. (Yes, he used that name.) The former barber had made his fortune clipping hair and shaving folks and decided to try something else, so he acquired a portable skating rink and installed it about where Cassville Bowl is today. He operated it there
He operated it there several years, attracting lots of skaters out of Monett and other communities.
A better offer elsewhere prompted him to disassemble his unit and move out of the area.
Enter Mike O’ Malley
The O’Malley family raised chickens at the Stoney Point intersection. They decided to convert two houses into a rink, to fill a popular void. Their venture was successful until for some unknown reason, problems developed.
One night a group was skating when a watermelon was thrown onto the floor through an open window, ending skating for that evening. Whether or not that incident contributed to an eventual closing was never known.
That was the end of Cassville’s skating rink experience and another recreation factor.
There must have been something correct with the skating or the music since there were several romances and eventual marriages that came out between some of the skating partners. Some of them became very accomplished and continued the sport into their middle age finding rink facilities in other locations.
Coming up
An event of interest is Father’s Day this Sunday when dads can take a bow at the supposed head of the family. It’s always a date toward the last part of June.
Another date, an important one, rolls around two days later, on the 21st, is the first day of summer.
Since we’ve had a dose of hot weather temperatures, it might be an opportune time to get the air conditioner checked if a person wants to be comfortable when summer gives out its real shots of hot readings on the thermostat.
There are more predictions out there that are warning some areas, including the Midwest, about hot and dry conditions ahead.
Bob Mitchell is the former editor and publisher of the Cassville Democrat. He is a 2017 inductee to both the Missouri Press Association Hall of Fame and Missouri Southern State University’s Regional Media Hall of Fame.
