I took a bath yesterday (out of necessity, not desire) for the first time in I can’t remember when. Who’s got the time anymore for much more than a quick shower? Yet there I was lounging like the people in the old Calgon commercials….Would you believe Water Pik actually did a national study of bathroom habits a few years ago called “Behind the Shower Curtain”? Guys take, on average, 14 minutes to shower vs. 12 minutes for women. Who knew?!

Anyway, it got me thinking about some of the great pleasures in life that just don’t exist anymore thanks to the adoption of real-time technology and an incessant need for immediate gratification.

For example, I remember camping out in 1986 for tickets to the Petty-Dylan-Dead show in the old RFK Stadium in D.C. There was nothing better than the camaraderie with my buddies that night. And the “sacrifice” of camping out made the show all that much better. Contrast that with today – shows sell out in 10 minutes online via Ticketmaster. No build up, no anticipation, no payoff.

Same thing when it comes to college acceptance letters. Back in 19…..well, let’s just say a while ago during my senior year in high school, there was a huge snowstorm in D.C. the same week that UNC sent out acceptance letters. I had to wait an extra few days before finding out that I was going to be a Tar Heel. But oh boy, was I ever amp’d by the time I got that letter. The wait…..and anxiety…..and the payoff! I heard on NPR recently that more than a third of all US colleges now send acceptance letters via e-mail. What a drag. Sure, I guess there’s about a millisecond of anticipation before you open that e-mail, but come on. That’s nothing like the interminable wait for the postman delivering either the fat or thin envelope.

Sure, technology has made our lives so much easier and hassle-free, but it’s been at the expense of some of the more rewarding experiences we used to enjoy. Maybe the advent of virtual reality will allow us to “experience” these things again some day.