What Does Connecting Mean to You?

Growing Up

As a child, I thought it was peculiar to hear “old” people talk about their childhood days as if they were somehow preferable to the childhood I was experiencing. I was having a pretty good time. What was wrong with it?

Now I realize there was nothing wrong with it. Today wasn’t part of their set of memories. Today they lacked the energy to enjoy some of the things they did as children. Maybe their memories were clouded. They didn’t remember complaining about the heat when there was no air conditioning in their youth. They didn’t remember arguing with their siblings over what radio program to listen to, as my brother and I argued over television selections. They didn’t remember complaining about the chores their parents expected them to do just as I did. The chores were different, but the childhood resistance was likely the same.

Today young parents, and especially grandparents, experience the same sense of nostalgia my relatives had. The attitudes are the same; it’s merely the actions and devices that have altered with time. It’s no longer the radio, TV, or even computer; it’s the I-pad, cell, or social media. Are any of these wrong? I think we would all agree that they aren’t. Are any of these preferable? Maybe. But, these are essentially each generation’s way of connecting with the world. This is important, regardless of the time. It’s important to stay current and relevant with the culture in which one lives.

Perhaps, what we are missing, is a link of understanding. My mother had a wonderful gift of relating to me when I was caught doing something wrong. She would recall a time, from her own young days, when she had done something similar. These stories brought laughter to an often tense situation. It was a comfort for me to realize, whatever I had done, wasn’t so bad. Mom understood. This didn’t get me off the hook. Punishment was still coming, but it eased the pain.

If we could accept our commonalities, we might begin to appreciate the ever progressing way of attempting to reach the same goal of connecting. If grandparents could share their stories of childhood joys, as well as frustrations, grandchildren might just feel free to open up about theirs. Recriminations shouldn't be allowed. The shared experiences can bring laughter and tears while creating new memories and new opportunities to grow as family. And, that might be the best definition of connecting.