Parallel Universes

In 1954, Hugh Everett, a Princeton University doctorate candidate, explaining why pesky quantum matter behaves erratically postulated that the existence of parallel universes mucked up our neatly ordered way of living. “Hugh you need to get out more often,” I thought until I met Betty and Bill Clark and their trove of “collectables” and a bevy of young gals making videos of “brushing your teeth with mustard.” All this can’t be going on simultaneously, but it is.

While on bike ride along the Silver Comet, I had my chance encounter with the Clarks at their treasure emporium housed in an aging cotton gin constructed more than 60 years earlier. “My Daddy and I would come here to unload cotton,” Betty said making reference to the original wagon scale on which I stood. The cotton is gone.

The old gin is now filled in helter-skelter chaos with rusting tools, old books, pictures and electrical appliances that held the promised of modern convenience. The whole archive caps out somewhere in the 70’s with Blue Oyster Cult and Queen vinyl 45s.

The Clarks are of another time. Bill rocked in his chair as Betty recounted their life, a good life, of acquiring the remains of estates or self-storage units. Bill’s skillful hands restored discarded furniture. Betty sold it. The cycle would then repeat. Along the way lots of junk was acquired. “I throw away all the old papers I find. But I save the bibles and give those away to good homes,” Betty intoned peering into the gin of junk. Time will be forever kind to the Clarks. There is no tension or reason to change.

Back on my bike and a few miles later I encountered inhabitants of a parallel universe. In this universe, millions of new Facebook users faithfully appear. They create 70 new pieces of content and exchange 25 billion bits of information each month. These inhabitants are unfazed by this frenzy of activity. They are contributors to this ever increase emporium of electronic data. The denizen I meet who thrived in this universe were all under 12 years of age.

My little gaggle of gals sat in the back of their Mom’s SUV parked at the end of the church property that abutted the Silver Comet. They were selling bottled water with the hopes of raising funds to buy props for their video projects. They related how they would cast wide about for ideas like brushing their teeth with mustard. Buy or assemble needed props. Use a digital camera to record their epics. Dad would then use PC software to edit and create an iVideo.

These iVideos mimic the antics of clips on the iCarly website. iCarly is an American children's television series that focuses on a girl named Carly Shay who creates her own web show called iCarly with her best friends Sam and Freddie. (Thank you Wikipedia). iCarly iVideos include plots such as: sewing your underwear in the shower, going to an Inside-Outside Burger to hassle, annoy and blow air horns at the workforce (that was noted as “Fun!”) and asking the ultimate iQuestion “Y R boys stupid?”

Mom who emerged from the church building shared that the fun was harmless and gave the girls playful shared moments. I shared my observation that her young brood never knew a world without the Internet, digital cameras, cell phones or the pace of life that only a rocking chair can offer. I bought a bottle of water and then donated another $5 to the iVideo prop budget.

As I rode away my two encounters fused in my mind. The Clarks comfortably surrounded by yesteryear and my gang of digital film makers pushing the idea envelope. Sometimes the best thing about bike riding is stopping and listening to the stories of people…regardless of which universe they may inhabit.