We went to see the movie “Lincoln” last night. Good movie, very long and sometimes boring with large doses of 19th century American politics. But Lincoln himself was great and I found myself thinking about the people who were lucky to have lived in the time of this great man and who benefited from his wisdom.
And then, of course, I began to think about the great people who lived in my time, the 20th century, and I am astonished at the long list of celebrities we had back then. Our Abraham Lincoln was Franklin Roosevelt who did much to improve our world. But it’s not only about presidents. We had wars and the wars made some great people, like Winston Churchill, Eisenhower and Montgomery. We had great musicians and entertainers. Are there Louis Armstrongs or Frank Sinatras today? How about Gershwins and Irving Berlins? Will the music written today still be played in 2113?
We of the 20th century grew up in the development ages of motoring and flight. I can remember how exciting it was to spot a new car model on the street or a new plane in the newsreels. We also grew up with telephones and television, our contribution to the communication age. And the movies and everything that goes with them all belonged to the 20th century. Beat that!
And, of course the 20th century was the birth of the Age of Medicine and with it, the birth of the Age of Longevity both of which are still ongoing. The Communication Age began in our time and both Bill Gates and Steve Jobs are members of the 20th.
One of the most stunning scenes in the Lincoln movie was that of President Abraham Lincoln shining his own shoes. Things have changed, alright.