When I Was Your Age
My late grandfather, who was born in 1910, loved to reminisce about the good old days. “When I was your age,” he would say, “I used to walk to school with all of my brothers. Didn’t matter what the weather was. While we were trudging along, in sometimes freezing conditions, we always had a good time horsing around.” We clearly got the point: The good old days seemed so much better. We all knew they were much harder, too. Today, people don’t walk anywhere. In fact, those fortunate enough to work in Silicon Valley ride in air-conditioned buses, with Wifi and lattes available for all. No three-mile walk in the snow for them. American Heros TV journalist Tom Brokaw defined my grandfather’s cohorts as The Greatest Generation . Their greatness was the result of their worth ethic, their thrift and humility, and the incredible bond they formed in their personal relationships. This generation survived the Great Depression and World War II; very few compl...