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As we venture toward a new year and I look at wrapping up my last year in my 60s, I've started thinking about what has changed the most.
It occurred to me that along with many big things, perhaps it's the small things that have changed our daily lives the most. An example would be McDonald's.
McDonald's started national expansion in 1954, so I feel like we've grown up together. Visiting McDonald's the other day I was struck by the changes in their operation since my first visits.
In the early years there was only one way to get your order. Drive into the parking lot, park, walk up to the window and order one of the five menu items, after paying cash. So what's changed?
Start with the parking lot. The first thing you notice now is the dominant striping encouraging you to use one of the drive-through lanes. If you choose to park you must navigate the landscape of specific spaces allocated to uniquely labeled pre-order methods; an employee will hustle your preordered food to you.
If you chose the drive-through yet another set of designated spaces are set aside for waiting. If you choose to walk in you will immediately be confronted by a lineup of ATM-style soldiers waiting to take your order. When you make your way to the counter you may be confronted by a sign notifying you that "for efficiency please order at a kiosk."
