By the time anyone reads this, it'll be the year 2012. That to me is just unbelievable. I never thought as a youngster that I'd ever see it. I recall being in the first grade in 1950 at Hulett University, and my imagination was stretched just to think of even moving into the 1960's. Beyond that was incomprehensible! There's no way it could already be 2012!
 
Of course, as a six year old, many things were unthinkable, especially for one who lived in a restricted and limited environment, or so I thought. Who would have thought we'd soon see such things as indoor plumbing, an electric stove, a refrigerator which didn't use a block of ice to keep things cool, multiple channel televisions, air conditioning in a house or car, or a milking machine of all things !! Not me my friend! But, we did eventually see all of these and many others before I moved away from the hub of the universe - beautiful downtown Hulett, Georgia.
 
And just think, I thought those things were likely going to be the pinnacle of technological advancement. Wrong, wrong, wrong again!  Seriously, I don't even have the ability to describe what we have now. Really, I don't! One of my brothers-in-law told me recently, if I heard him right, that he bought an LGHD3D TV. What? Oh man have I ever been left by the wayside!
 
I can't tell you the capabilities of his TV, but I bet it has many more functions than that old black and white, 16" screen, three channel Philco that sat in our living room on a table in the late 1950's. But, all we cared about was that it had the news and Live Atlanta Wrestling with Ed Capral announcing the matches. Over the years, people like Ray Gunkel, Freddie Blassie, Gorgeous George, Ivan Koloff. and a few others did, or should I say performed, the wrestling. Just thought I'd throw that in!
 
All that to say that here I am ready to move into 2012 with the following things at my disposal - an i Pad 2 nearby with seemingly unlimited functions ; a cell phone with which you can make and receive calls, take pictures/videos, send and receive text messages; cable television which has around 450 channels which have just about any kind of programming imaginable; and many other modern day conveniences.
 
I wish I could honestly say that I know all the capabilities of these things, but I cannot. I'd be lying through my teeth if I did. Like someone once said, I know just enough to be dangerous. Too many times, I know less than that.
 
If my daddy were here today, as a 104 year old he would be totally overwhelmed and petrified as would most other people who lived from the early 1900's until the 1980's.. Heck, to a degree I feel the same way. But, sometimes I don't know enough to realize my many limitations. At least I don't until unexpectedly they hit me over the head.
 
Melba and I decided we need to have someone teach us how to use the technology we have. So, we plan to attain the help and expertise of two of our grandsons - Foster ( 4 years old)) and Carter (10 years old). Reave (1 year old) can assist too. It seems that youngsters have no apprehensions about using the technological advancements we have at our fingertips. They're not afraid of it all. As for me,  I'm still not totally comfortable with the old desk top I'm using to write this. I merely get by!
 
Coming from 1945 to 2012 has been quite an interesting escapade for me. There have been a few bumps in the road, but overall I can't complain. Like the old saying goes, " I've gotten much better than I deserve." Witnessing and adjusting to changes along the way is just part of the game plan.
 
Somewhere there must be a solid, stable bridge which allows one to easily cross over from the past to the present. In many cases we may have to construct our own bridge to reach the desired destination.Once there, it will be up to each of us to chart the course into the next phase, the future. Perhaps, if our planning is good enough, the transition will be smooth and without stress.
 
I do wonder what this new year will bring. Likely, many of the things I mentioned above will soon become obsolete, and here we'll go again. I suppose the best advise I can take (or give) is to " just go with the flow," as best I can. What else can I do anyway? Only salmon, as far as I know, swim upsteam successfully.
 
Much luck as you embark on a journey into the unknown waters of a new year - 2012! May you have a safe, rewarding, and enjoyable trip!
 
In a few years down the road, we'll look back on 2012, and you'll have, as Paul Harvey always said, "The rest of the story."