My husband likes to remind me that 100-year-olds today were born before cars ruled the roads, jets flew, television and Internet were born, and space travel and satellites became commonplace. Those seniors alive today have enjoyed watching and using the full range of modern technology. They lived through the true "golden age" of civilization, and those born afterward can only imagine what those days were like.
I believe we today are living in the "Most Golden Age" of pinball. It's an age those coming after us may not be able to fathom, despite our best efforts.
Think of the tournaments we play, the playrooms we enjoy, and the arcades we frequent today! You may see a videogame/pinball hybrid with a TV screen, camera, headphones and Bluetooth app. Or you might see a game with vintage bumpers, artwork and mechanical devices built a half-century ago. You can play them side-by-side, plus every era of pinball technology in between. You grew up on these games, or your dad used to play them. (And maybe you can still play together and swap stories of the past.)
You can jump in and out of the pinball time machine practically at will, thanks to the loving care of those who are rescuing and reviving the old games while pushing the envelope on the new models. But despite people's desires to keep this most golden age alive, the sheer age of the games we play may make it nearly impossible.
We have already lost countless "bingo" games, seen other pins succumb to natural disasters like fire and flood, not to mention many fun games from our youth were carelessly thrown to the trash heap. How long can we as a group keep these old jalopies running before time catches up to them? I believe the more we pass on the love and skill to others, the longer the age lives on.
I am thankful we live in this most golden of pinball ages, where every new game is different, every old game is treasured and appreciated, and where almost everywhere you go the games are set on free play!