2025

I vaguely remember when my second grade teacher told our class that we would live into the 21st Century. That was in 1961, and my classmates and I could not project that far into the future. At age seven, the 21st Century was six more lifetimes away.*

Last week I typed in the date for my first blog of 2025, and my initial thought was, “Wow! We’re a quarter century into the new millennium, and I’m still here.”

A comparison of a moment from1961 with one from 2025 could have, maybe should have, given me insight about the passage of time. It did not. Even when I intentionally tried to draw meaningful conclusions, I came up with only clichés. Did I think that life was better back in the 60s than it is now? Would I like to go back in time and relive my childhood?

As to Question No. 1, I don’t think that life was better in the 60s than it is now. I do worry about climate change, but otherwise humanity is slowly moving in a good direction. We take just as many steps backwards as we do forwards, but some of the progress gained going forward is retained even when we regress. 

As to Question No. 2, I don’t want to relive my childhood. My overriding recollection of the 1960s was that I was present for them, but missed almost everything. If I went back as a kid in Green Bay, Wisconsin, I’d probably miss the significance of the decade all over again. Conversely, if I was given another shot at the 70s and 80s (i.e., my late teens and all of my twenties), I’d go back in a heartbeat.

Last week I watched three new stand-up comedy specials on tv: Nate Bargatze, Neal Brennan, and Craig Ferguson. The three comedians have different comedic styles, and after having seen several specials from each of them over the years, I would say that their material seldom has anything in common. This time, however, their specials all had the same overriding theme, which was this; none of us who grew up in the 20th Century belong in the present time. Nate Bargatze went so far as to suggest that he has more in common with the Pilgrims than he does with his daughter.

In last week’s blog, I wondered whether I had one more big accomplishment left in me. This week I am thinking that it is time for me to hang up my spikes. I should do what so many other baby boomers seem unable to do, which is to find a hobby, enjoy life, and stay out of the way. With age comes wisdom, but part of wisdom is knowing when to hand over the reins.

• The photo is of Mrs. Van Beek’s 1961 second grade class. I didn’t even remember that such a photo existed, but Chris Zilles, the little girl standing on the far left, brought it to our 50th high school reunion. Between the two of us, we were able to identify all but four kids in the picture. I am standing in the back row, second from the right.