Happy birthday to me. 45 today so I thought I would put down a few thoughts.
40 years ago I was 5 years old. On Saturday mornings I went with my friends to the ABC cinema (I was an ABC minor). We watched Looney Tunes cartoons, Zorro and black & white films from The Children’s Film Foundation. Computers, Mobile phones, Digital watches, Video games, DVDs, McDonalds were unheard of. Transport was a second-hand bicycle. We played football in the street and hide-and-seek in the derelict and condemned buildings. We built go-karts out of old prams and packing cases, raced them down hills and discovered that fitting brakes was a good idea (Next time). We played board games like Monopoly and Cludo. Summer holidays lasted forever and we went fishing in the harbour or on the river all by ourselves!
Today I am writing this article on an XDA mobile phone using Graffiti while waiting for my Mercedes to come out of the service department. I run my own IT Company and have more computers than I should have 
I like to go to the theater and if I want to watch a film I have two cinemas with 10 screens each to choose from. Of course I can always hire or buy a video or DVD and stay at home.
Like most people I miss those younger days when life was simple and uncomplicated. I still like to try and travel back in time by packing up my fishing rod on a nice warm summer’s day and finding a quiet spot on the river where I can be left alone.
Today life seems so fast and people are impatient and intolerant. We need to slow down and look around sometimes.
What is this life if, full of care,
We have no time to stand and stare.
No time to stand beneath the boughs
And stare as long as sheep or cows.
No time to see, when woods we pass,
Where squirrels hide their nuts in grass.
No time to see, in broad daylight,
Streams full of stars, like skies at night.
No time to turn at Beauty’s glance,
And watch her feet, how they can dance.
No time to wait till her mouth can
Enrich that smile her eyes began.
A poor life this if, full of care,
We have no time to stand and stare.
Wm. Henry Davies.