A Different Perspective: 3/27/2024

In college, waaaay back in the 60s, I wrote a column for the school paper, edited by a classmate. He texted me last week and said he heard I was writing this one, so I sent it to him. We ran into each other yesterday, and he said I’d become philosophical in my old age.

Well, that struck me as being pretty serious and got me thinking about how limited my knowledge and experience were then. My view of the world has changed, becoming more introspective and textured, although not as vivid. When you get older, you discover more meaning and appreciation for so many things that were just accepted as normal in the blossoming newness of youth.

Once sharp and delighted to experience new sensations, all of our senses become dulled with age and repetition. The moments of surprise and excitement become scarcer but, at the same time, more appreciated when they happen.

There have also been a lot of changes in the world since I wrote those columns, and sometimes, something will make me wonder whether they or I made something different than I remember. One of the common things that will get me thinking is a taste as a child that is very different now.

I remember what a treat it was to get an 8-ounce green glass bottle of Coca-Cola from a big red vending machine and pop the cap off with the built-in opener. Even the sounds were satisfying. The coins fell into the mechanism, triggering a kerchunk that delivered your treat to the door. Once in a while, there would be a failure, with only silence after the coin tinkle and a feeling of deep disappointment and fear that you might not get your treat. Even when everything worked right, there was a moment of dreadful silence between coin drop and delivery.

Then that first sip was so sweet and flavorful, the carbonation tickling the back of your nostrils, so refreshing to your thirst.

Now, having a Coke occasionally doesn’t seem as satisfying because those memories get in the way. Does it taste different because corn syrup or other sweeteners have replaced real sugar? Is the formula the same, or have other changes been made for economic or regulatory reasons (Did you know the original formula had cocaine until 1903)? How much is because my sense of taste has dulled due to age or years of repetition? Even the carbonation tastes different.

It’s the same with chewing gum or candy bars, which don’t seem as flavorful or last as long as I remember. These are unimportant questions with no answers.

Then, once in a while, I’ll find something from those days I haven’t had for a long time, and it will be just what I thought it should be, one of those moments of new pleasure that come along less often.

If you’ve gotten this far reading, you’re probably an older person who remembers. If you are a more youthful reader who has stuck it out, for whatever reason, the time will come when you’ll share this perspective of things from this time in your life. Until then, find and enjoy every bit of newness that comes your way.

Oh … wait … that advice applies to the oldest as well. Please share the good feelings with others, and appreciate their high when you see them in one of those windows.