Men and Machines

There are certain stereotypes which are true no matter how much one may try to deny them. One of the ones that came to my mind this morning is about men and machines. It seems that no matter what they age of an average guy, there is always that innate desire to mess around with the latest and greatest gadgets that are available. I thought of this this morning because as I was driving by the airport I was stopped at a traffic light and I noticed that not only was I, but practically every other guy in surrounding cars were looking up at the planes coming in for a landing while most of the women drivers around us (excluding those putting makeup on while they were stopped...thankfully) were busy staring straight ahead.

Now speaking for myself I can say that I have been one who has been fascinated with all things flying since I was a child. I remember being chided by my soccer coaches as I attempted to play soccer (I say attempted because my feeble skills would be no match for modern kids). My coaches would constantly pester me to keep my eyes on the ball because normally I would immeadiately turn to look up into the sky the moment I heard a plane overhead. Perhaps it was a bit much to want to see something as commonplace as a plane but still, they fascinated me to no end. But it wasn't just planes, it seems to have been all types of moving objects or gadgets. My parents tell me about my grandfather who was holding me during my first visit to India and how as a baby I was fascinated by the spinning ceiling fans at the airport. He jokingly told them that I would certainly be pegged as an American (or at least a foreigner) because as I watched the fan, I subconsciously began spinning my foot around in time with the fan.

But as time has gone on I have found myself fascinated with more and more gadgetry to the point that it is almost like an addiction. But I'm not alone in this mania. I think most guys would say that they fall into this type of hysteria at one point or another in their lives. Sure there are the occasional exceptions to the rule, but think about it. How many guys do you know who love spending time at places like Best Buy or MicroCenter despite the fact that they have all the electronics that they can currently handle? How many guys do you know love tinkering on their cars despite the fact that it is in perfect working order? How many guys do you know will be able to tell you the exact specs for a racing engine without having to consult any book?

I don't know what the reason for this mania would be. I mean I suppose it has to be something inborn in most men. After all, if it wasn't for this fascination in gadgetry, I don't think there would be much stock in evolutionary theory. I mean sure, if you believe in evolution you would believe that man would be able to change from ape to human over the course of a thousand years but what about advancement beyond those caveman days? Think about it! The first tools used by man were rudimentary cutting weapons made from stone and wood. In a few thousand years we've advanced from iron weapons to nuclear (and it's new-clear.... NOT new-kee-ler) and quite honestly none of this would probably have happened if it hadn't been for this inborn desire in men to want to be the guru of all gadgets.

Now perhaps there are women out there who are objecting to my stipulation that evolution of technology has been predominantly driven by men. And while I understand any ire or anger you may have towards this insinuation, bear in mind that I also believe that for all the failures in advancement that have occured it was most likely due to the fact that a woman's advice on how to approach the problem calmly and rationally (and with a decent dose of common sense) is what kept us men from constantly hurting ourselves in our quest to improve technology. It's a cycle that continues to this day and will likely see our species through for the next thousand years as well.