One Damn Thing After Another By Terry Wilson

I have few recollections of my grandparents and now at 88 years, and still counting, I have two grandchildren. When old enough to read with understanding they may contrast this collection of minor events, that occurred in their grandpa’s life, with their world driven by technologies I cannot visualize. The episodes recounted here spanned most of the twentieth century. They began when horsepower and steam locomotion were being replaced by the internal combustion engine. Cars appeared, aeroplanes began to fly. Electricity arrived in the home to be followed by radio and then television transmissions. Lavatories were built indoors and man reached the moon. Computers the size of houses were created and then reduced to laptop proportions and now nano-particles are the ‘big’ thing.

Throughout this era mine has been a bumpy ride seemingly one damn thing after another. But, in retrospect, there were halcyon days, family days, children’s days and occasional successes between hard landings. Amongst this record of inconsequential events it is the adversities and ironies that seem to make them worth recording. Future life on this planet will still consist of win some, lose some and one’s only armour will still be a sense of humour.