As frequently happens I have awakened far too early this morning, 7/11/10, and realize I am not going to be able to go back to sleep because of all the thoughts swirling around in my head. So I might as well try to get some of the stuff down before the clatter of the day drowns them out.

Yesterday I met with a close friend who believes my new business is worthy of pursuing and is trying to help me get it started so that others may also think it has some merit. She wants me to develop something called a rack piece (?) that can be handed out with a short but pithy description of why this is important.

There can be many generic groups that might be approached but two come to mind quickly: your parents of grandparents who may still be with us; or you, who may be parents today and grandparents tomorrow.

The older generations have possibly lived through the depression years, WWll, the Cold War, Civil Rights,the fear of MAD (Mutually Assured Destruction), the decline of the Soviet Union and communism, and the tremendous explosion of technology. How wonderful and probably important it could be to see and hear them talk about such events as 9/11, Iraq, our first black President, healthcare, immigration, etc.

Can you imagine what it would be like if you could take a DVD down from your shelf and see your mother or grandfather talking 50 years ago about their past and current experiences and thoughts about their world at that time? Would that not be significant to your family and possibly historically?

Now consider how your children or grandchildren, 20 or more years from now, would welcome seeing a similar DVD of you recorded today. I don't think for a moment that it would not be important! Change is occurring so rapidly today we have no idea what is coming. Your expressed ideas of what may happen may turn out to be inconsequential, important, or naive -- but of some historic value.

I am reminded of the letter I wrote home as a 20 year old on the afternoon following the dropping of the first atomic bomb on Hiroshima. I naively said there could never be another war. I wonder what other words of wisdom (?) might have come out if I had been questioned by someone with a camcorder back then.

If any of you who may read this blog would like to comment or make suggestions, positive or negative, I would be honored.