My grandfather turned 90 today. I think about that and it really astounds me that my Poppy is 90. We had a party for him yesterday at the Vet's home where he now lives. He had a great time, there were some family members that came from out of town. Some people he had not seen in such a long time. It was sweet to see how happy he was.
He always called everyone " Dear". When he was asking a question it would he " How about that eh Dear?" So today all we heard was " Eh dear?" It was too cute.
On the drive home with my kids I started to think about the last 90 years and what it must be like to be that age. I know some of his younger years during the war and after were very hard. He was a very young man in World War II. He parachuted out of a plane and into the trenches in the dark of night. What he saw during that night and what came after it had such an impact on him that he was afraid of the dark for the rest of his life. I used to ask my grandmother why he slept with the light on. She replied " He doesn't sleep until the sun comes up sweetie, the light just helps him get through the night."
I think about everything he has seen in his life. The year he was born was the year the very first robot was built, the birth of artificial life. He has lived to see some of the greatest inventions like Antibiotics, Insulin, Television, Radio, Polaroid Photography.
Other inventions perhaps not so great like Nuclear Power.
He has also lived to see such atrocities as The Great Depression, The Holocaust, WW II which he fought in, The bombing of Hiroshima, The Civil Rights Movement, The Vietnam war. This is to name a few.
He was born at the time of silent movies...in black and white...which then moved in to talking movies or as he called it " the talkies...still in black and white. He remembers when the movies moved into technicolor, then television as well. A real feast for the eyes. He remembers the very first drive-ins.
There is so much he has seen and lived and is still living. It truly amazes me and makes me realize how much we take for granted. We are born in a world where there are still inventions but I don't believe they will be as huge as what my grandfather has seen. It was a time where man and technology came together and made things that changed the world. And the world itself changed.
It is still changing and it always will except now it seems to be at a faster pace. Today I have to say it was really nice to take a step back, to rewind a bit. To listen to my aunts and uncles sing older songs like Old Cape Cod and more. My children really enjoyed the time with their great grandfather. I know I certainly did. When I was little I remember my grandfather was always laughing, telling jokes that my grandmother rolled her eyes at. he always seemed to have a smile, a quick sense of humor, and a funny giggle.
Seeing him today, although he may not always remember, he still laughs and smiles. It is so nice to know that in this changing world there are some things that stay the same. I take great comfort in that.
Pampered Patty
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