How times have changed
May 9, 2008 (Friday)
My son, David, flew to Singapore and back last week, a distance of about 20,000 miles round trip. He was gone less than one week, and during that time, spent 48 hours in the plane – twenty-four hours each way.
Such a trip is very tiring because twenty-four hours is a long time to be in an airliner, not to mention the tiring effects of “jet lag”. Looking at it another way, however, traveling 10,000 miles in 24 hours is absolutely amazing. In the 1800’s people traveled long distances in sailing ships. The speed of those ships was 5 to 9 knots (6 to 10 m.p.h.). The fastest speed ever recorded by a Clipper sailing ship was 22 knots (25 m.p.h.). So, let’s say you were going to sail 10,000 miles today at those speeds. You would have to plan on several months at sea, depending upon prevailing winds, bad weather, heavy seas, ports of call, etc. Sitting as a passenger in a plane today for 24 hours is not an inviting thought, but how would we like taking several months to make the same trip.
We get in our cars and travel 70 m.p.h. on smooth, wide roads. Have you ever thought of the folks who traveled the trails across this country in covered wagons? Some of the highways we travel today were once dangerous trails through a wilderness.
We get tired when we travel, but, when we think about the modes of travel in the past, we’re getting along fine (as long as we can pay for the gasoline).
“Many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased” (Daniel 12:4 KJV).