Generations

Growing up my parents kept me aware of family relations, their generational relationship and so forth. I knew my aunts and uncles, cousins, grandparents, of course, and how they were related to each set of my aunts and uncles. It did get confusing, especially as more generations were referred to.

In those days we had photo albums. Each picture had a name and sometimes a date. We asked questions about who they were. Mom and dad gave us the details. We learned this information. We remembered it.

Well, not all of us. My sister disliked this data, thinking it boring and inconsequential. Today, youngsters don’t have photo albums like we did, but they do have electronic records of photos. I doubt they are labeled and discussed with parents to better understand the relationships involved. That leads me to wonder if today’s kids know who their aunts, uncles and cousins are. For me keeping track of cousins was very difficult.

As an adult – aging at that! – knowing the generations is more important. I think back on old relationships with them. I wonder how their family life prepared them for the modern day. And I wonder just how well I was prepared for today.

I tend to view current events in relation to my grandchildren. Do they recognize happenings of today with what they mean for their current and future lives? Do they see the consequences of these happenings? Does our society learn from its past and its present? Is there a conscious attempt to shape the future and prepare for it?

I always thought in these terms. I also thought we prepared for the future. Now I am not so certain about such matters. I am thinking that a lot of people simply focus on the immediate and not the long term.

Am I right on thinking that? I don’t know, doubt I ever really will. But is that a good thing or bad? Should we prepare for the future? Should we spend today’s energy on tomorrow’s consequence? Does that cheapen the present? What about learning from the past? Is this all going to turn topsy turvy?

My mind reels at these thoughts. Perhaps I have overdone it. Focus, Safford. Focus! The present is very real and should be valued. How much of it should be spent on the future? 10% of it? All of it? What?

Questions. Always questions. But somebody has to do it, right?

February 27, 2023

 

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