before the giant leap

I am part of the aging collective who held their breath while Neil Armstrong took his small step and giant leap. That was 48 years ago today.

I remember that step – it was taken toward the future. It still is – my remembering of the step takes my life into a future of being relegated to ‘the olden days’. When we talk about my grandmother we clarify her ‘when’ as being before they had cars — my mother’s was before television, and I’ve just realized mine is before they landed on the moon. I have joined a well established club of ‘before-ers.

I can’t say for certain which before in my life actually started my initiation into the club – it could have the before of rollerblades, microwaves or electric hair straighteners – I’ve been around a while. Things progress so quickly these days that olden days can start as early as yesterday.

Thankfully it seems you don’t get the before badge until something humongous happens. The smaller events are just part of the seasoning process – we get marinated before the big event. And when the big event happens you generally don’t recognize its significance. The invention of the pop-up toaster and the electric razor happened during my mother’s lifetime. So did the ballpoint pen. It’s only in retrospect the actual before of a generation becomes apparent.

Facebook reminded me this morning of the event that defines my before.

Look out people who still feel young but are old enough to be reading this blog — you were around before the internet – you may a member of the club and don’t even know it!