Changes

It has been a thought provoking weekend. My 94 year old grandmother died on Friday evening. I've been thinking since about all the changes she saw in her lifetime. She was born a few months after the Titanic sank. She lived through two World Wars, the depression, polio epidemic, Napier earthquake, Murchison earthquake, Wahine disaster. She lived to see man walk on the moon, jet aeroplane travel, television, computers, the internet. Incredible social changes occurred in her lifetime. Advances in science, medicine, technology... etc. Nana grew up in a house without electricity. I just can't imagine it really.

All that melancholic musing makes me think about my own girls and the changes they will see in their lifetimes. How do we prepare our children for a future we can't even imagine? Well I'm not really sure but I guess Nana's parents had no idea about television, internet etc. Heck! Motor cars would have been a marvellous new invention. Nana grew up, raised a family and lived through a period of incredible change. If all the predictions of futurist commentators are anything to go by change will only increase at an exponential rate. Two things I think about all this. Developing an ability to cope with complexity may be one of the most important things we can promote. That and doing things with your family. Spend time and get to know the most important people in your life.