Generation 
 
My Dad and I met mostly in the “here and nowâ€. I didn’t 
know the man before I was born, in his younger days. Dad, 
when I knew him, talked mostly about events from his past. 
My future, unknown, yet to be discovered, could not be discussed 
in any depth, only speculated. But it was mine, to be shaped 
by me, and was of great interest--mostly to me. In comparison 
to my father’s past, all I could offer was a little grist for a gruel 
of passions we shared. 
 
So now I am dealing with the same hiatus, but on the 
other end. There’s not much I can offer constructively 
to my children and grandchildren that is seen as useful, much 
less interesting.  My dated references and limited knowledge of the 
contemporary are two reasons for the gap. Not to be unhappy-- 
I have now gone back to being a student and the business of 
learning-- still with the hope of occasionally contributing to the 
lesson. Its a big classroom.