When people reach a certain age, let’s call it your “Golden Years,” they often tend to become suspicious and mistrustful of things. I know this because I am now reaching my goldenness, and I definitely recognize the manifestations of the mistrustful and suspicious condition. It’s an old person thing. The big #1 on the Suspicious and Mistrusted List is “Change”. Don’t get alarmed! Change has been one of the things most hated by old people since taxes and rap music. Every generation dreams up their own changes just to show that they are smarter than the old folks. Of course, some changes are great. We’re not talking about the changes that save lives. We’re talking about things like, “Siri, please turn off the light.” Wouldn’t it be great one time if she said, “Sorry, I don’t feel like it, why don’t you just get up and turn it off yourself”. Or, you could get a clap-on, clap-off switch. And who made the changes to get rid of all the local offices for the electric company, the gas company, Southern Bell and the social security offices? I guess Georgia Power and Atlanta Gas Light just had to squeeze a little tighter to make ends meet, huh? Lawyers must be having a tougher time getting by, too. What happened to our distinguished barristers in their pipes and 3-piece suits? I mean, it’s gotten to the point where you can’t really enjoy breakfast for all the screeching tires and car crashes on morning TV. I didn’t realize a law degree nowadays required a method acting course from “One Call that’s All” or 999-9999. All commercials have drastically changed. They now include conversations that would have gotten you a good ‘ole fashioned whipping with the hairbrush back in the day. Here’s a little test: when was the last time you got a free roadmap at a gas station? When was the last time you played your favorite CD in your new car? For that matter, when was the last time you could afford a new car? And when was the last time somebody actually told you thank you at a drive-through window?
Change is inevitable. It's just part of life, and you can’t really hold it back. But along with that concession, we should also agree that there are things, people, places, buildings and ideas that should always be remembered, honored, and remain unchanged. That’s what history is. Just that. And just because it didn’t happen in your particular lifetime, doesn’t mean it’s not important. It's our collective story and must be preserved. That’s what holds this whole thing together in those times when the winds blow, and the ground gets a little shaky. That is true for our country, and it’s true for our community. And that little idea, in this lighthearted discussion, might be worthy of a little serious thought…for a change.
