Dear Blake,
I’m 102, and I have outlived many of my longtime friends. In my address book I counted 22 pals whose names I have crossed out after they died. These were people I danced, dined and traveled with. Only five members of the old gang are left, but they’ve all dispersed. Making new friends is difficult for people my age because I am not out and about as much. At holidays, some family members are good at extending themselves toward this old geezer, which I appreciate. When my great grandchildren look up from their cellphones, they discover that I experienced the Depression, a variety of wars and many new inventions. I want to be more engaging with today’s youth. What do you suggest I do?
Signed, Harvey
From Wheaton, Illinois
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First of all, I’d like to say that anyone that lives to be over 100 is incredible. And because you have, you should be wise enough to know that today’s youngsters don’t want to learn about history from a person that they consider to be a living fossil. Do you actually think these future losers want to hear about the Wright Brothers first flight, when some of them feel that screenings at airports are an invasion of privacy? Why bring up the Great Depression from the 1930’s, when kids today believe they will never starve to death as long as they can commit welfare fraud? Why waste your time telling juveniles about the 1969 moon landing, when conspiracy theorists has convinced those kids that it was faked, in order to help Hollywood sell more tickets at sci-fi movies? However, there is one event that you can easily get them to relate to. Tell them about the U.S. dropping the bomb in 1945 in Hiroshima. To make sure they can understand what happened, put their cell phones in a microwave and turn it on. I’m pretty sure the screams from those children will be comparable to the screams from the Japanese back then… that didn’t disintegrate. I hope this helps.
Blake