TRAIL BLAZERS
They piled out of the car and the kids raced through the
house to find Granpa.
‘Hey Granpa, what’s that old wagon doing here?’
‘To remind us how lucky we are. Look around – what do you
see?’
‘The usual stuff – your home, the pool, Mum cooking with
Granma.’
‘Exactly. A house with a kitchen, enough water to swim in.
But my Great-granpa arrived here in a wagon like that one. All their goods,
beds included. They had to find water and light a fire before cooking dinner.’
‘That’s ancient history!’
‘Not that ancient – it was only five generations back from
you.’
.........................................................................................................
We should remind ourselves occasionally how far we have come - and in a relatively short time. I live in a cottage that only had a bathroom installed in the 1950s, and still has the old outside toilet. The cottage has two small bedrooms in which previous families have raised families of half a dozen or more children!
Thanks to Alicia Jamtaas for the photograph that Rochelle chose this week. You can read how others interpreted the image by following the frog link from her blog https://rochellewisoff.com/
So true!
ReplyDeleteYou should know!
DeleteYup. We should never forget the past. A few short years ago, you could sign on with a dentist, get an appointment with your doctor, and there were several buses an hour
ReplyDeleteAh, the good old days!
DeleteWell done, Granpa! It's easy to forget, but imperative to remember... He has the right idea. -Angela
ReplyDeleteI think it's part of a grandparent's duty to keep the grandkids grounded.
DeleteEven before reading your footnote, your story reminded me of my grandparent's house with its outside loo and gas lights! Nice one, Liz.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Keith. My best friend in the 60s only had gas lighting in her house.
DeleteDear Liz,
ReplyDeleteWe are truly blessed, many of us, to have what we do. How quickly it can be taken away. My parents' generation grew up without computers and cells phones. Heck, I grew up without computers and cell phones. ;) Good story.
Shalom,
Rochelle
I grew up reading books, which was no bad thing, but also without central heating!
DeleteAlways good to remember the past. Well done. Alicia
ReplyDeleteAlways with our eyes on the future, we can forget to look back at the lessons to be learned.
DeleteIt is too easy to forget the hardships previous generations endured to pave the way for the future.
ReplyDeleteI read somewhere that only 30% of those pioneers made it to their promised land.
DeleteGrandpa's got the right idea. We all need to be aware of the reality of history. Knowing what has gone before provides a context for the present, be it better or worse than whatever preceded it. It gives meaning and a sense of perspective. Good story.
ReplyDeleteKnowing what happened in the past can also scare the pants off us. The Russians are a case in point.
DeleteThey just don't want to know, do they? But like me, one day they'll wish they'd asked a few more questions.
ReplyDeleteYes - I wish I'd asked my father a lot more than I did.
DeleteEasy to forget how young modern America is, and the 'wild west' compared to the rest of the world.
ReplyDeleteUntil we see what messes they get themselves into!
DeleteWhat a story .... actually two, if you count the one about your cottage!
ReplyDeleteThank you for reading them both!
DeleteLiz, this is a good reminder that we ought to be grateful--thankful for what we have now considering how life was for the pioneers and older generations.
ReplyDeleteAnything that reminds us to be grateful is a good thing!
DeleteA good reminder of how time does fly and life has changed so much - Laurie
ReplyDeleteIt has certainly changed hugely in my lifetime.
Delete5 generations to kids is a long long time. I work with young adults, many in their 20's. 1980 was along long time ago to them.
ReplyDeleteThat's true. We get more perspective as we get older - my own father was born in 1905!
DeleteGreat story. I never knew my grandparents and would love to know our history. All I know is my grandfather came to America on a ship in 1920 from Italy and went back to Italy in 1962 my mom married my dad in Italy and came back to America.Im always envious of those who grew up with family stories! - Michele, Thisobscurelife.com
ReplyDeleteHave you tried researching them? You already have half their story, seems a shame not to follow it up.
Delete