Celebrating Three Quarters of a Century of Life Today

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Today I'm crossing another milestone. I have been on this earth for three quarters of a century, but I still feel young inside - most of the time. Although I am stuck in this world now, doing my chores, loving people, and marveling at all the beauty I see here, I also know I'm getting closer to my eternal home. I know that what time I have left will probably pass quickly, unless I develop a painful condition. When one is in pain, time passes more slowly. I'm thankful I'm not there yet. During my life I've seen many changes. I saw the first televisions enter my neighborhood and then my home. I've seen the kinds of TV programing change to what would never have been allowed in 1950. I've seen the types of TV commercials change, too. What used to be allowed, like cigarette commercials, aren't allowed anymore, but things that used to be unmentionable or even not invented yet back then are now all over the screen. I've watched culture change. The population of America is more diverse. What used to be considered by most people to be immoral is now not only tolerated but embraced by some. Most people today do not consider themselves religious, but when I was a child, most people had a religion. Education and politics have, in my opinion, disintegrated. People are indoctrinated in schools and colleges. Freedom of speech is disappearing and being replaced with political correctness. Those growing up in America today have not known the liberty I enjoyed most of my life, so they don't realize it is disappearing as the government takes more and more freedom away each year. Crime has increased. When I was a child there weren't any school shootings, even though there were more guns around. There is more violence in the streets today. It was almost non-existent when I was young. Teaching was a safe occupation and students didn't demonstrate. They showed more respect to adults. They usually finished school and got a job without much trouble. The drug culture wasn't visible to the average person if it existed. The drugs of choice were tobacco and alcohol. It is ironic that I was able to live in peace in the United States for most of my 75 years. I did not see citizens fighting each other in the streets or fear that terrorists might attack. Our greatest fear was that Russia might drop a bomb on us or that we might get polio. Now we only have to fear the former. Thank you, Mr. Salk. I'm thankful that I've never lived in a war zone. My husband did. I have seen the world of medicine transformed. Diseases that used to cripple or kill can now be prevented or cured. People can get new body parts and get dental implants instead of false teeth. Surgeries that used to keep one in the hospital for days or weeks have been transformed to less invasive procedures that can be done on an outpatient basis. Doctors have new diagnostic methods like ultrasound. Anesthetics have become safer and more effective. I have watched the invention of private telephone land lines, portable radios, cassette players, eight-tracks, CDs, DVDs, personal computers, iPhones, android devices, electronic tablets, jet planes, self-driving cars, and so much more. I watched them build Disneyland in Anaheim and bring the Queen Mary to Long Beach. I watched berry fields and Orange Groves in California turn into housing tracts, malls, and theme parks. I watched as freeways were built and my dad was among the first to use the Hollywood Freeway. I have lived during the terms of 13 presidents. I don't count FDR because I was never aware of him. I do remember when Harry Truman was President. I have led a sheltered life. I am thankful. I have had a mostly healthy life and can still be active. I am thankful. My husband of almost 54 years is still with me. I am thankful. I can look forward to eternal life when my time here is finally up. I am thankful. What changes have you seen during your lifetime?