43 years. That is a long time.

We have gone through 8 presidents, Five popes and between 6 and 8 wars depending on we define them.  

Remember when US troops would never be sent into action.  It is different now.  We would then be afraid to be drafted.

We have invented new languages.  Phrases such as “email me the answers’, “I am going to buy a new mac, my old one has no memory”, “text me your phone number”, “all I have is three and a half inch floppy” (speaking about computers of course); changes that would make Aldous Huxley pause. 

Languages have come and gone (remember beeper codes?)  143 very different from 43.  I got in trouble with that one.

Remember dialing the phone.  You hate calling people with 0, 8 and 9’s in their phone numbers. Finger got tired.    Remember no area codes.  There was only one phone per household; when your sister had a new boyfriend, the whole house could not communicate with the outside world.  Remember when you got a call from a land line and you would answer it?

We could go to college and not owe the cost of the house. We could send our kids to school and not worry about whether they will be safe; bullying stopped once your child arrived home.  College afforded you a decent salary.

Although one would sometimes not trust politicians, now it is uncommon to trust one.

We would carry out research in the library; we would use the card catalogue; perhaps meet someone.

That is how I met my wife ;-) we would have wondered why the semicolon followed by dash followed by closed parentheses.

 

Now we go to the library online and google everything; our concentration being challenged by every possible popup.

Things just go too fast. 

To quote something Nestor posted on facebook; My mind is like my internet browser…  I have 19 windows open, four of them are frozen and I do not know where the music is coming from.  Can you imagine hearing that phrase 43 years ago? 

You had to cheat in person.  Now you can cheat  via email or dropbox.

We used to hand in our homework, now we upload via turnitin. 

Phrases like you’ve got mail became movie titles. Our kids would wonder “what a strange title for a movie”

Now we talk to our computers.  Can you imagine getting one of those gadgets and your wife’s name is Alexa or Siri?

Remember buying records?  There were no music videos.

In the old days sometimes we would want to be with our friends rather than our parents, it was cool.

I would give anything to be with mom and dad again. 

Some things are still the same.

We all still love our children; we all still love our parents.  We still love our friends.

We all know what is right and what is wrong, although sometimes we need a small reminder. 

I know that will never change.

 

God bless all of you, proud to call you friends.  

 

Happy Anniversary!

 

Moose.

Ramon Lopez de la Vega

Associate Professor and Associate Chair

Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry

CP 329

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