500 Words

 

Putting Life in Perspective

 

   For some reason I have become fixated on age, the passing of time and history. Perhaps it is the result of all the news and events taking place in the world today. Maybe it is the fact that I am doing a bit of downsizing and cleaning out around the house and having to decide what the keep and what to throw away that is causing me to pause and reflect upon items and “things” from the past. Or maybe it’s just looking in the mirror each day and counting the new wrinkles or the seeing less and less hair albeit what’s left is almost white.

But let’s put this into some degree of perspective.

   The year was 1946. That seems like a long time ago and when looking back on those 75 years and the world we live in today, it was a long time ago. A great deal has happened.  Like any other day of the week or year for that matter, people are born, people died and life as it was back then moved on. Looking back, it didn’t seem like there was anything special going on at the time. But maybe there was, and those events may have, either directly or indirectly have contributed to the world as we know it today.

   In 1946 the United Nations held its first meeting with then 51 member nations. The United Nations was formed because the League of Nations, founded during WW I, disbanded. It didn’t work. It is interesting to note that although originally proposed by the United States, the United States never agreed to join the League.

   Bikini bathing suites went on sale in 1946 in Paris. During WW II women’s bathing suites gradually got smaller and smaller and of course this created quite a scandal in some countries around the world. But even though banned for many years in places across Europe, it finally became part of the accepted beach attire.

   Just for the record, the bikini did not hit the shores of the United States until the 1960’s. And today, well……we get a really clear picture of what they look 2021 style.

   And what did it cost to live in 1946?   A new house average cost was $5600. The cost of a gallon of gasoline was 15 cents. A new car average cost was $1120. Interesting though was the cost of the world’s first electric blanket. $39.50. Compared to a new home, that seems a bit pricy. And when was the last time you paid 64 cents for a dozen donuts?

   A couple of other facts…. Tupperware was first sold in department stores. The early beginnings of what would eventually lead to the computer were in development at several colleges. Winston Churchill gave his “Iron Curtain” speech.

   And let’s not forget the names of people who would go on the become famous and influential: Ted Bundy, George W Bush, Jimmy Buffett, Cher, Dolly Parton, Steven Spielberg, Donald Trump and Freddie Mercury, just to name a few.

   The world in 1946 had just experienced several wars and there was a great deal of activity that sought to bring about ‘world peace’ and cooperation among nations. But even with a number of attempts between then and today, we still struggle with the ability to get along with each other.

   The hope from the beginning of time may have always been to learn from experiences, to learn from both past failures and successes, regardless of the year and lead to successes in the future. As decades past and new generations assume roles of leadership, perhaps it might be appropriate to look back at the world as it was and gain the perspective on what was but more importantly, what it could be.

   And about looking into that mirror each day to check out any new wrinkles or the need to get those few remaining hairs trimmed at the local barber shop, it’s all about a perspective. So go ahead. Take a look. It’s not about what was any more but what will be…… if we allow it to happen.