Posted 8/23/01 How lucky we are to be living today (This was first published Oct. 28, 1994) Recently I read of the birth of premature twins. They were tiny and at high risk of survival. All the skill of modern medical technology was directed at their survival. At first it was just that and barely successful. Then, the tide turned and the little bodies converted nourishment into tissue and muscle and they began to grow. They are now safely on their way to good health. The attending physicians said that had those two little tots been born a year earlier they would not have made it - the technology would not have been adequate. We live at a time of enormous technical progress in every possible field and enjoy the benefits of generations of progress. If we were to suddenly be without all that has been added to our lives in the last 100 years, we would be slowed down to a walk or a horseís trot, would be depending on candlelight, and if we wanted to talk to relatives or friends, we would have to go where they were. We would work from dawn to dusk to provide for our basic needs. Think then of 500 years ago when printing from movable type was developed and the first books were published, or 1000, 2000, 5000 years ago. We donít know how it is that we happened to be born in this time of history and into the families and lands where we find ourselves. It is a profound mystery. But here we are, the beneficiaries of all that has gone before. What are the results of living now in American instead of at some earlier time? We certainly live longer as a result of medication, surgery, sanitation, nutritious food, and all other changes affecting health. In the last century alone, 30 years have been added to life expectancy. We live better, travel easier to anywhere in the world, communicate better and are kept better informed. There is little in common with life today and even 100 years ago. One of the most dramatic changes has been in the use of time. As earlier mentioned early days in America meant constant work for survival. Today for relatively few hours a week we take care of our basic needs and make provision for the future. I have seen substantial changes in hours of work in my own lifetime. As a boy, I worked 54 hours a week, 7 to 12, 12:20 to 5:20 five days a week and from 8 to 12 on Saturdays. We have more ědisposable time now.î Small children in the family can surely use up that disposable time, particularly for women combining home making and work outside the home. But for society as a whole there is time for optional pursuits. It will probably be one of the measures of our society, by historians - what we did with our disposable time - did we pursue education, travel, service to others, or did we use it all for pleasure and self indulgence. Most families budget and plan expenses against income; how well do we budget and use our free time? Just think what it means to live in a democracy and to have the protection of a court system. Life is not perfect but it is well to occasionally stop and review the situation to bring home to us how lucky we are to be living - today - and in America. - Elmer L. Andersen, Publisher Emeritus ©Post Review