Huge Transformations in 75 Years

I do not want to sound like one of those old people who talk about the good old days. Until recently I did not feel the past was better than today. I marvel at the transformations that have occurred in my lifetime. I am in awe of what has emerged in the past 75 years.

I am particularly aware of the changes in technology. My childhood had three channels on a black and white TV with rabbit ears. It went off the air every night with the playing of the national anthem. In high school I was excited to have a little transistor radio that I listened to at night with favorite songs that only aired from time to time. I took a typing class in high school in preparation for college and remember us students begging to take turns using the only electric typewriter that we had.

Technology that really changed my life was the invention of email and the world wide web. I recall reading Future Shock in the mid-70’s and fantasizing about the possibilities someday or having information instantaneously available at one’s fingertips rather than having to consult an encyclopedia or get help from a librarian. Who would have believed that we would be carrying unlimited information in our pockets every day.

I have also witnessed the revolutions in healthcare over the years. In 1950, the average life expectancy was 46 years; in 2023 it is 73 years. I have benefited from vaccines that have become available to save lives. I remember especially the joy that my mom expressed when polio vaccine became available when I was in grade school.

The political environment has greatly interested me. Seeing TV clips of the civil rights movement were perplexing to me as a child who was growing up in an exclusively white community. I recall the concerns of nuclear war related to aspects such as the Cuban missile crisis. My parents built a “fall-out” shelter in our basement just in case nuclear war happened. Little did I know how futile that shelter activity was.

The Vietnam War was central to my high school and college years. As time went on, I became jaded by the ability of any war to solve problems. I continue to seek understanding of how diplomacy is better than war. Until the past year, I believed that I grew up and lived in an international order that sought peace, stability, and growth.

I could go on with my perspectives on other major changes. I will, however, leave it here as I contemplate what may happen in 2026 that will significantly impact my life and the lives of people I love as well as those individuals I do not know.