My grandson is in a program at school that mixes social issues and robotics. The kids (7th and 8th graders) look at some issue in society, research it, and propose a form or method of improvement. This year they're studying the problems faced by seniors. I discovered this when my grandson asked if I'd be willing to be interviewed by the group, since I'm OLD.
After I finished smacking him around, I agreed and yesterday was my day to meet for a little Q & A.
Some of the questions were what I expected... What are some problems I'm facing now that I'm older? Are there things I have difficulty doing? Are there places I like to go that I can't get around in any more?
But there were questions I didn't expect. And some of them gave me pause.
What did I like to do or where did I like to go as a kid that isn't around anymore?
What do I think of teenagers? (I loved that they asked that question.)
Am I more afraid of things now or less?
Is life easier or harder?
What do I miss most?
It was harder to answer some of these than I thought it would be. What would you have said?
Trivia Answers:
Thanks to everyone who played along. Just about everyone got Arnold and Buzz. Most of you got 1984. But only a few remember the Fonz (Heyyyy) and Laugh In (sock it to me, sock it to me)
What or who first made these catch-phrases famous?
1 - I'll be back.
The Terminator, played by Arnold Schwarzenneger in the 1984 film.
2 - Correctomundo
Fonzie/The Fonz/Arthur Fonzarelli, played by Henry Winkler in the 1970's-80's TV comedy Happy Days.
3 - Big Brother (is watching you..)
1984 - In the dark futuristic novel by George Orwell, published in 1949, the phrase appeared in the description of a government poster, in part 1, chapter 1.
4 - You bet your sweet bippy.
Rowan and Martin's Laugh-in, 1960's-70's TV comedy series, in which numerous guests used the phrase and variations of it.
5- To infinity, and beyond.
Buzz Lightyear, voice by Tim Allen, in the 1995 film animation Toy Story.
Quote of the Day:
You can't help getting older, but you don't have to get old. ~ George Burns
15 comments:
Oh, now I'm curious to know YOUR answers.
When I was a kid, my mother would take me and my two sisters (the other three siblings hadn't been born yet) to where my father worked and we waited for him in his car.
This was Chicago and we walked late at night through some rough neighborhoods. Yet no one bothered a young mother and her children.
I remember feeling more protected as a child, not by society but by individuals. We looked after each other back then.
Those were great questions!
Those questions would make me think. What I miss most is how slow time passed - I had endless hours to do dumb stupid stuff in a day. Now I blink and a week is gone.
those are great questions! really make me think. when i think about the future and things i will miss like books & paper, i wonder about kids becoming so tech dependent and i'm afraid they will lose their verbal and hand writing skills! progress?
Maria - One of the things we talked about was the freedom kids had and the loss of "community" - everyone looking out for each other.
Diane - Oh Lord, yes. Weeks, months, years - they just fly by.
Tara - Good points. Do you know most schools don't even teach "cursive" (writing) anymore. They assume the kids will either print or type. Such a loss.
Karen - I thought of adding them but I wanted to focus on everyone else's responses. Perhap I'll post about mine next week.
What did I like to do or where did I like to go as a kid that isn't around anymore?
a) bomb craters filled with rain water. Bit of a muddy swim.
b)The detritus of war on railway embankments. We used to play 'cowboys and indians wearing gasmasks.
c)outside toilets in winter with squares of cut up newspaper in lieu of toilet roll. The wind howled, doors rattled and meanwhile you were getting engrossed in news stories that abruptly ended because you could never find the other square. My head was filled with shadows and incomplete stories. Then again, we had no TV
What fun that must have been to be grilled... er... interviewed by those young folks. Look forward to your answers to some of those questions.
What I miss most is the freedom to let children roam and ride bikes all over town with no worries. I remember being out in the summertime from morning to late night sometimes and we would cover several miles of territory on our bikes. We always felt safe and our parents trusted that if anything happened, like a spill on our bikes, someone would help us.
Mike - You always give us just a different insight. Thank you.
Maryann - It really was a lot of fun. I enjoy that age group.
We share the same memories of roaming free. It saddens me that the kids today don't have that.
Scary stuff. I'm not too swift on the fly so answering those questions would have been hard, hard, hard. I'm not sure I could answer them with a lot of thought. I hope you gave them something to think about. That's really a good lesson.
How nice that the kids were interested. I think they're questions are awesome, very insightful. It's so good for them to get your perspective. I wish we would have had more guest visitors like that when I was a kid. At that age, you think you're going to be 14 forever and we (now) know that is not true. :)
Elizabeth - Some of the questions did catch me off guard. I almost I could go back and add to the answers I gave them now that I've had a chance to think about it.
Liz - the one question I had no problem answering was: "What do you think of teenages?" I love them. I sit and talk with these kids and it gives me hope for the future.
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