Today our new BT phone book arrived. It's so small and, at least in this household, a little pointless. If I want to check a phone number I look it up online. It's more convenient, quicker and, in the main, up to date than the physical version. I am also not limited to the very small geographic range my local phone book covers.
It seems a bit of a quaint relic of pre-internet that BT has to distribute a new one to every household annually. I accept there are some who still use the physical book, but for (what I would argue) is the majority, it is a wasteful exercise. Ours is going straight into the paper recycling, no longer even good for a "God knows everyone's name" children's address (because they'd just wonder what planet you were on). In many households it may not be immediately thrown out, but might languished forgotten about and unused till next year's edition arrives.
That's progress for you. And no one really bats an eyelid. In fact, like Spot and I, many may have even forgotten there is a physical phone book which can be looked up at all. Pity church couldn't gently change, so congregations don't necessarily notice. No, we change (for some things) too slowly or manage it very badly and, when it does come it seems quick and a shock to the system. But, in a fast changing world, maybe we need that bit of consistency. Yet it is knowing what to change and what to leave the same that is hard.
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