Yesterday, a friend and I were discussing the merits of UnderDog. 

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     You know.  That cartoon dog that routinely saved the world from the clutches of his arch-nemesis, OverCat.   "Never Fear.  Underdog is here", was his weekly chant to the terrified crowds awaiting sure destruction.

        Makes me wonder where the days of Underdog have gone.  And I'm not talking about a goofy-looking dog in a blue cape ready to save the world from the evils of a feline menace.  

       I'm talking about the more innocent days of my own youth: when the biggest worry on my mind was what my 6th grade project was going to be, and my dad's biggest worry was whether he had enough beer for the weekend and if steaks would be on sale at the Safeway.  (Yes - back then it was the Safeway.)

        It seems we are all preoccupied these days with doings and threats much bigger than we ever thought imaginable.  With advancing technology have come mind-blowing conveniences, things we could only envision while watching an episode of the Jetsons.  But what have we sacrificed to gain the Internet, cell phones, Ipads, and satellite television?  Our peace of mind? With every step forward, it seems we as a civilization give up more and more of something else that was equally precious.

          Perhaps that explains our preoccupation with the items of our youth:  a need to reconnect with a less complicated life.  One in which a cape-adorned dog can save our ideals.  And the music of Cat Stevens can save our sanity.