When I see young people today , especially those who work in the electronics industry in one form or another , I am astonished at how my world has changed , and how quickly it changed — right before my eyes . I find myself on the sidelines , figuratively watching the passing parade of progress ; but I am destined to remain on the sidelines .

However , it has occurred to me that I , and all of us who are retirees and seniors , are , in part , responsible for this transformation . We moved society from old crystal sets or Marconi radios that were as big as a modern entertainment centre to the new hitech realities of today . The last fifty or so years have witnessed incredible changes in our society and lifestyle , and we were there ! We were cogs in the dynamics of social , economic , and political changes . The old world reached the new world through us .

Yes , you , too , are responsible ! Think of this : all societies stand on the shoulders of their predecessors to carry on , to emerge , to seek out improvements to their physical and social structures . In this way they form a link , a connecting bridge by which the new generation is able to take what it finds useful , and discard that which no longer fits the realities of their time . Each of us was given many roles during the course of our adult life : like a game of cards , like bridge , we used our talents , knowledge and skills to play out the expectations of those roles with the resources available .

We were given the realities of a post-war society ; and with the emergence of new demands , became the facilitators of implementing change . We started in a climate of political , social , and economic stability . We were the ones who , when the realities

changed , opened the doors to new possibilities . We took possibilities and turned them into realities . We had to continually adjust our sails according to the winds of change .

It was our blood , sweat , and tears that were the grit that enabled society to be transformed into this brave new world . We carried the burden of experimenting , sorting , and finally transforming the world of the past into a new world driven by technology . We can take a collective pride knowing that we led — and lead — the way for the next generation to seek their own new worlds . As Ralph Waldo Emerson wrote :

Why should we grope among the dry bones of the past , or put the living generation into masquerade out of its faded wardrobe ? … There are new lands , new men , new thoughts . ( Works , Volume 1 , p . 9 )

I do not like looking at myself as being one of the ‘ dry bones of the past ,’ but I guess I was . I guess we all were . That is just what we had inherited , that is what we had to work with . We had to change and change fast ! Look now and see how far we carried the next generation ! When you look around at the positive fruits of our labours , I am sure you will agree that we must have been a strong bridge .

Unfortunately , societal values have not matched the growth of technology , but this is an issue the next generation will have to sort out . I did my job ; you did yours . We carried them this far . We bridged the old world into this new world and are therefore more than a group of retirees or seniors . We are members of a far more important club .

We are members of a bridge club : The Bridge Club ! That is pretty exclusive when you think about it .

ALBERTA RETIRED TEACHERS ’ ASSOCIATION News & Views Volume 19 21 , No . 32