ARTIFICIAL

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XVIII, Issue 198, 4 August 1928, Page 10

ARTIFICIAL

THE KEYNOTE OF MODERN LIFE

PROBABLE RESULT OF WAR yyE have all thought, some more often than others, how much is artificial in our lives, how much of a pattern we try to make ourselves—we all seem .to have the same smoothly plastered heads, or the same corrugated waves in the same place, the same unnaturally flat, slim bodies, flashing golden legs; our faces are all made up the same way and same colour. Even our silks and laces are not the product of the silkworm—they are probably made from peanut shells or wood-pulp. We all think things are “too perfectly divine’’ or "absolutely tragic,” “simply killing,” or “too horribly feeble.” We have all read "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes” because it is essential that we should be able to say we have done so. When “living the simple life” is mentioned, we laughingly think of earnest looking people wearing leopard skins, eating nuts and fruit, and omitting to clean their teeth. Life is never simple, but we could make it a great deal more simple than it is, and less stereotyped. After all, Nature is never “much of a muchness.” We were all made different to one another in spite of our efforts to reduce civilisation to a pattern. It is quite feasible to aid Nature if she has not done her job too well, but the common mistake is to carry first aid too far and paint in our own picture. To-day is the 14th anniversary of the Declaration of War. Perhaps this feverish unnaturalness of modern life is an outcome of the great conflict that followed. Most present day problems have their root in that period of strain and horror. The mad hurrying-to-make-years are slowly but surely passing, and gradually we are settling down to normal again. Mothers will be content to let their hair grow grey gracefully and beautifully, daughters will realize there are other interests in life beyond dancing, and scribes will have to delve for new subjects for “copy,” as no more will they be able to write unctuouslv or indignantly about Callous Modern Youth, Jazz and Joy Rides, Cocktails and Cabarets, and Petting Parties. No more? Perhaps—we shall see!