Perception

My baby sister turned 25 today. A quarter of a century old. She posted some comment somewhere about "been rock'n this world since 1984". I responded back, of course, giving her grief, of course. I told her to let me know when the soundtrack of her youth started popping up on "classic rock" stations. Incidentally, 1984 was a pretty fair Van Halen album.
But I digress.

I began to think about how much more and how much longer my parents have experienced than I. And also how much less my children (10 & 4) have seen. And still further my newest nephew, only days old, who has so much laid out before him and so little behind. And today, Winnie Collins of Littlestown, PA turned 100. What has Winnie seen? What has become of the soundtrack of her youth? And I wonder what in 1934, at her quarter century, constituted "rock'n this world"?

Just for grins and giggles:
in 1909, William Taft was sworn in as the 27th President of the U.S. That's right, she's seen 18 U.S. Presidents.
There were only 46 states in the Union; New Mexico, Arizona, Alaska and Hawaii were added later.
There were only 16 amendments to the constitution. (there are 27 now)
Winnie has witnessed WWI, WWII, Korea, Vietnam, The gulf war, and The Iraq war.
She was there when the Berlin wall went up, and when it came down again.
She lived through both Pearl Harbor and 9/11 (and those nearly 50 years apart)
Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts were formed during her childhood.
She survived the roaring 20's and the Great Depression(s, both of them;~)
Segregation was abolished, a few presidents were impeached, and others assassinated.
She has seen the first Female leaders in our country, the first Black leaders and most tellingly the first Black president.

I can't even imagine what Winnie's perception of the world must be, much less how she might perceive my sister's comment "been rock'n this world since 1984". But I do know that we all have a lot more to experience. And I hope that we all have the opportunity to share some of it with each other. . .

Happy Birthday Winnie. Happy Birthday Shannon. Thank you both for the gifts that you are those around you.

Bill

P.S.
If I ever see the day that Shannon's favorite pastimes are cooking and crocheting, I might just stroke out right then and there!