On Easter Sunday, I picked up my grandpa in Monee on the way to dinner in Frankfort. Driving a few blocks from his neighborhood, we saw a billboard for a dispensary.
While he didn’t say anything about it, it made me think about how much he’s seen change in his lifetime. At 94, he probably wouldn’t have guessed he’d see the legalization of marijuana in his lifetime. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg.
Conveying to my husband how much Grandpa has seen happen and change in his lifetime, I put it into perspective by saying, “Grandpa was 8 when ‘The Wizard of Oz’ came out.”
He’s experienced a lot in his own personal lifetime – serving in the Navy took him around the world. Marrying his soulmate brought him five kids and 10 grandkids. A variety of jobs filled his professional resume.
But as he stands on the precipice of 95, it’s fascinating to consider how much has changed since 1931.
Technology itself has exploded since his birth. Imagine being a teenager in the mid-1940s and someone telling you, “In the future, we will carry around these devices where we can call anyone at any time. And, it can take photos and play music. Not to mention the capabilities you can’t even conceptualize.”
(You may be asking, “Taylor, did you stop at the store that aforementioned billboard was advertising?” I promise, I did not.)
It’s just wild to stop and think of all that’s been bundled into his nine-plus decades. The good and the bad.
And it makes me wonder what all I’ll see in my lifetime. Should I get his genes of longevity, I’ve got at least 64 more years to go. Who knows what we’ll be carrying in our pockets in 2089?
Maybe I’ll have a granddaughter someday writing a column (likely as a 140-character post) who muses over the fact that her grandma was around to see the invention of flying cars.
Whether we want it to or not, the future will always be competing with the present. And it’s humbling to stop and think about all that has been, all that is and all that could be.
· Taylor Leddin-McMaster can be contacted at taylorleddin@gmail.com.