Me: Welcome to the General Electric Carousel of Progress. Now most carousels just go round and round without going anywhere. But on the Carousel of Progress, there's progress at every turn. Progress is not simply moving ahead it's dreaming, working, and building a new way of life. Progress is a commitment to making today and tomorrow the best time of your life. But from time to time, someone was always telling us to turn back. But there is no turning back. Not on this carousel. The challenge always lies ahead. And as long as we all dream, work, and build together, these years too, can be the best time of your life.
All: Now is the time, now is the best time. Now is the best time of your life. Life is a prize, live every minute. Open your eyes and watch how you win it. Yesterday's memories may sparkle and gleam. Tomorrow is still but a dream. Right here and now, you've got it made. The world's forward marching and your in the parade! Now is the time, now is the best time, be it a time of joy or strife. There's so much to cheer for, be glad you're here, for it's the best time of your life!
Act 1: Turn of the 20th Century
Me: Well, the robins are back. That's a sure sign of Spring. What year? Just before the turn of the century. And believe us, things can't be any better than they are today.
Balto: Yes, we have all the latest things. Gas lamps, a telephone, and the latest design in cast-iron ranges.
Jenna: That reservoir keeps five gallons of water hot all day on just three buckets of coal.
Aleu: (laughs) It really beats cutting wood. It wasn't too long ago we had carry water from a well. But now, we have a pump here in the kitchen. But we keep a bucket of water handy to prime it with.
Kodi: And we also have an ice box. It holds fifty pounds of ice. Milk doesn't sour as quick as it did before.
Me: Our dogs keep the water in the drip pan from overflowing.
Jenna: But for real progress, we have a new hand-cranked washing machine. Now, Mother can do the wash in just five hours. Also, spring cleaning is better now. We have a new air-suction rug cleaner operates on one-boy power. Beats the old carpet beater.
Kodi: Well, we don't have an opera house in our town, but we have a talking machine. It plays music right here in our home.
Aleu: Well, we also have new electric streetcars replacing the old horsepowered ones.
Balto: Well, it's hard to imagine how life can get any easier.
Aleu: But there's a new company, uh, General Electric, they call it, who are trying to bring electricity into our homes.
Me: But if they are able to do that, we can be sure of one thing.
All: Now is the time. Now is the best time. Now is the best time of your life! Life is a prize, live every minute. Open your eyes and watch how you win it. Yesterday's memories may sparkle and gleam, tomorrow is still but a dream. Right here and now, you've got it made, the world's foward marching and your in the parade! Now is the time, now is the best time, be it a time of joy or strife. There's so much to cheer for, be glad you're here, for it's the best time of your life!
Act 2: Roarin' Twenties
Jenna: Whew! This is the hottest summer we've had in years. Well, we've come very far since the turn of the century.
Aleu: Yes, but no one knew then that this would be the age of electricity. Everybody's using it. What a difference in our home. We can run as many wires as we need for our new electrical servants.
Balto: Electric sewing machine, coffee percolator, toaster, waffle iron and refrigerator. They all go to work at the click of a switch.
Jenna: We also have an electric iron and now with our new outdoor electric light fixture, Mother can do her ironing in the cool of the evening.
Kodi: We also have an phonograph now.
Me: That's right, Kodi. There's also a new kind of music called jazz. With our new crystal radio we can get news and entertainment from distances up to a hundred miles away.
Jenna: That's amazing news! Too bad we get so much static. Well, there's something progress can't improve on. It's something called romance.
Balto: (laughs) Electricity's a wondeful convienience. You can always turn it off.
Aleu: Well, we have indoor plumbing now. It saves a lot of walking.
Me: Well, considering all the conveniences we have, it looks as though we've made real progress.
Kodi: That's true. But when we read about the things the research people of General Electric are working on, we can be sure of one thing.
All: Now is the time, now is the best time. Now is the best time of your life. Life is a prize, live every minute. Open your eyes and watch how you win it. Yesterday's memories may sparkle and gleam. Tomorrow is still but a dream. Right here and now, you've got it made. The world's forward marching and your in the parade! Now is the time, now is the best time, be it a time of joy or strife. There's so much to cheer for be glad you're here for it's the best time of your life!
Act 3: Fabulous 40's
Aleu: Well, it's Autumn again and the little ones are back in school.
Balto: (laughs) Thank goodness!
Jenna: (laughs) You can say that again, Balto! But here we are in the fabulous 40's and it's amazing how our new kitchen wonders are helping to take over the hard work.
Kodi: That's true, Mom. The electric range is better, refrigerators are bigger and hold more ice, but our favorite is the electric dishwasher. Now James doesn't have to dry the dishes after dinner.
Balto: Well, the days when a kitchen meant hours of back-breaking drudgery are gone. Now it's a place to relax. We spend a lot of time out here. We have to. Grandpa's taken over our den.
(swing music plays)
Me: Radio and record players are now in one unit. He can listen to more than record without getting out of his chair to change them. Grandpa can't seem to get enough of this new type of music called swing.
Jenna: Now, our family is caught in the do-it-yourself craze. We're remodeling our basement. Mother is doing it. She's pretty ingenious, like using her food mixer for stirring paint. Me: Well, that's my wife Sarah.
Aleu: Remember back in the 20's when young people got excercise dancing? Today, James' daughter Jane stays in shape with electricity.
Balto: That's right, daughter. And now Jenna, Aleu, Kodi, and I can spend more time on our walk with our owners. Progress has taken care of the little ones with an electronic babysitter: Television.
Aleu: That's right, Father. It seems like this is best time of our lives. Well, it's time to move on. And it's time to sing the song again. Let's all sing it!
All: Now is the time, now is the best time. Now is the best time of your life! Life is a prize, live every minute. Open your eyes and watch how you win it. Yesterday's memories may sparkle and gleam. Tomorrow is still but a dream. Right here and now, you've got it made. The world's forward marching and you're in the parade! Now is the time, now is the best time, be it a time of joy or strife. There's so much to cheer for, be glad you're here, for it's the best time of your life!
Act 4: Present Day
Me: Merry Christmas!
Balto: Merry Christmas!
Jenna: Merry Christmas!
Aleu: Merry Christmas!
Kodi: Merry Christmas!
Pups: Merry Christmas!
Me: I was just talking to my friends about Christmas in the past. When we look back to our past holidays, we recall how frantic the days of preparation were.
Jenna: It seemed like our whole family worked overtime getting the house cleaned, preparing extra food, rushing around for last minute shopping, and when Christmas Day arrived, we were just too exhausted to enjoy it.
Balto: But today, thanks to the gifts of progress, we now have time to enjoy our new home, our friends and ourselves.
Kodi: That's right, Dad. No matter how many friends arrive, we're ready.
Aleu: We now have many new convieniences since the turn of the 20th Century. Today, our home is now automated. We have virtual reality video games, new portable computers, voice-activated appliances, and even videophones.
Kodi: That's right, Aleu. And television has improved since the old days. Now, it has a bigger screen, better visibility, and even color.
Jenna: And speaking of color, look what lighting can do to our home. We can create new color schemes on walls, carpets, and fabrics, and we can also have mood music to go with it.
(music plays)
Balto: Now, in the kitchen, we have a new electric range. It's a double oven built into the wall. Right now, there's a turkey in one of the ovens, some pies in another, and no one has to watch them. If the ovens get messy, this oven will clean itself.
Pups: We also have weather control in every room. It automatically changes from heating to cooling, as the outdoor weather suggests.
Me: It's hard to imagine how this modern way of life can improve. But when we can be sure that General Electric is still working to improve, one thing is certain.
All: Now is the time, now is the best time. Now is the best time of your life. Life is a prize, live every minute. Open your eyes and watch how you win it. Yesterday's memories may sparkle and gleam. Tomorrow is still but a dream. Right here and now, you've got it made, the world's forward marching and you're in the parade! Now is the time, now is the best time, be it a time of joy or strife. There's so much to cheer for, be glad you're here, for it's the best time of you're life!
Me: Thank you for taking a spin through time on General Electric's Carousel of Progress. Please gather any personal belongings and have the best time of your life in Tomorrowland.
All: Happy New Day, everybody!
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