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Remember Kodak: the industry standard, a huge, powerful, influential, wealthy company? Ever heard of Shutterfly: a flimsy, fly-by-night internet start-up? Well, Shutterfly just took over Kodak, literally. Kodak is no more. Kodak got bogged down, got so big it couldn’t change fast enough, wasn’t flexible enough and was myopic to a changing world, because they had been a near monopoly for a long time. One must be nimble, open to new technology, and visionary about coming trends. Dinosaurs don’t survive. Those that quickly adapt do.

Initially dragging my feet with reservations, I switched to digital photography reluctantly, and a mere six years later I can’t imagine having continued on that old path. I’ve saved thousands of dollars and broadened my scope immeasurably. Endeavoring to create this website and it’s future incarnations helps keep me young and up to date. Embracing texting, Twitter, Facebook, and smartphones has likewise had a revolutionary effect on my life.

So let’s beware of becoming like Kodak, old and passé. As Mary Baker Eddy quips, “It will never do to be behind the times in things most essential…” If you wonder whether we are talking about essential things here… look at Kodak and realize we are talking survival. It just looks different these days; no longer are we fighting off bears at the mouth of a cave with a flaming club. These days, nuance can indicate direction, and the unencumbered are poised to act and win the day.

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