Yesterday I saw old yellowed newspaper photos on Facebook of me and my high school graduation class in 1975. They were published in the Eldorado newspaper The Daily Journal. I was amazed that the picture did not look as bad as I recalled. Nothing would satisfy Neva J other than for the picture to be professionally taken which was not the usual order for business for my likeness. I do recall being impressed that the photos were printed in the Journal and believe I probably kept a copy for several years until it was lost in the detritus of moves and change.

I vividly remember knowing that I was soon to strike out on my own at the ancient age of 17. I was quite certain that I had the answers to life’s persistent questions. I learned as I traveled that I had few mentors and few detractors. Most life skills I picked up through empirical study. Neva J used to say ‘Monkey see monkey do’ so I aped what I observed others do that seemed to be successful.

As time progressed I developed my own style and distinct personality. Authenticity is compelling. It is also refreshing. Representing yourself is a genuine manner of displaying who you are to the world.

I heard a person say the other day that many people do not want to do the hard work of making their own decisions. They seek a leader for their lives. Someone who will purportedly perform the research to determine what is best for them.

Hitler had a plan for Germany. It was developed from his sick mind and narcissistic persona. His delusions of grandeur caused the death of 6 million Jewish people as well as the devastation of his country. He was regular in appearance and underwhelming. Hitler was a failed artist who melted into a crowd. He was a true study of the banality of evil.

When you encounter a genuine fellow human being who is not dressed in the mask that they wear in public they are captivating. They are unfiltered and unashamed of their skills and beliefs and revel in the personality that God gave them. They carry a sense of place with them wherever they are.

We were the Baby Boomers in 1975. Not the first of the Boomers nor the last but clearly identified with the group. We hoped to obtain a good job a nice car and a fine retirement where we could travel. We came from a little coal mining town and we hoped to see and experience bigger places. We had seen years of the Vietnam War and knew people who had served and who had given their lives in the conflict. The 60s really did not conclude until 75 in many ways. We were going to change the world and then become part of what we had intended to transform.

50 years beyond 1975 seemed like Alice In Wonderland or 2001 A Space Odyssey. Nothing seemed to change and yet we were entering one of my favorite television shows of the 60s…The Twilight Zone…