90th Birthday

I visited someone today is who is 90 years old. 90! Astonishing. On such occasions I always think about the changes the person has seen in the course of their lifetime so far, living in the UK.
From almost no private transport (except, perhaps, bicycles) to near-universal car ownership.
From computers that took up a vast room to computers you can take with you everywhere, and called cell phones.
From a day, then a week, to a seaside resort, to weekends in Paris or New York and vacations in Spain or Portugal and the USA.
But more than all these things, many people of that age regret changes in manners.
From intense privacy to conducting private phone calls in public.
From acting with dignity and decorum to chewing gum and slouching around.
From a concern with being of service to knowing 'my rights'.
And I wonder if, when I'm 90, someone will be wondering what I make of all the changes I've seen in my lifetime?
Photo by jzlomek.