Life’s game-changers: No wonder my generation is so tired. ‘We’ve’ been busy
Maybe it’s because my recent high school 50th class reunion forced me to think deep thoughts about my misspent youth.
Or maybe it’s because I’m getting old.
But I was thinking of all the game-changers in my lifetime, which began on April 26, 1954.
Here’s a short list off the top of my head. You can think of better ones.
Corvette Stingray.
The Beatles.
MLK.
Billy Graham.
Rap.
Fallout shelters.
“That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.”
John F. Kennedy.
“Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country.”
COVID-19.
The Vietnam War.
Three Mile Island.
9/11.
Color television.
Chuck Berry.
The cell phone.
The internet.
Fax machines.
Xerox machines.
Desktop computers.
A video recorder on every phone.
Public school integration.
401(k).
Emanuel 9.
The interstate system.
Donald Trump.
The Simpsons.
Cable television.
Email.
Facebook.
Twitter.
Walmart.
Hippies.
Walt Disney.
Air conditioning.
Vaccines.
Amazon.
Johnny Carson.
Woodstock.
Ford Explorer.
“All in the Family.”
Civil Rights Act of 1964.
Voting Rights Act of 1965.
C.S. Lewis.
Microwave oven.
Muhammad Ali.
Mother Teresa.
Hank Williams.
Digital cameras.
LOCAL
Charles Fraser.
BASF opts not to build its proposed chemical plant on the Colleton River near Bluffton.
Mosquito control.
Heritage golf tournament.
Beaufort Historic District established, listed in the National Register of Historic Places, and designated a National Historic Landmark.
Public land-buying and land conservation.
Sun City Hilton Head.
Henry C. Chambers Waterfront Park.
Jonathan Green.
Fred C. Hack.
Sea Pines.
Harbour Town.
Branch campus of the University of South Carolina established in Beaufort.
Town of Hilton Head Island’s beach preservation fee.
SC Accommodations Tax.
Dr. Donald E. Gatch.
U.S. Sen. Fritz Hollings’ Hunger Tours.
Beaufort-Jasper-Hampton Comprehensive Health Services Inc.
Kate Gleason.
The Goodwin family buys Sea Pines.
Ice machines.
Volunteers in Medicine Clinic.
Historic Beaufort Foundation.
Harriet Keyserling.
Beaufort County Open Land Trust.
The ACE Basin.
Beaufort Water Festival.
Incorporation of the Town of Hilton Head Island.
Bluffton growth explosion.
First bridge to Hilton Head Island.
First bridge over the Broad River.
Richard V. Woods Memorial Bridge in the heart of Beaufort.
Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort activated.
W. Kent Alston.
Beaufort-Jasper Water and Sewer Authority established to bring water from the Savannah River to supplement and replace local wells being infiltrated by saltwater.
Six recruits drown in Ribbon Creek in a late-night march at U.S. Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island, changing forever the supervision of training.
Hilton Head Island survives the bankruptcy of its major landholders.
Hilton Head Hospital opens.
Hilton Head Hospital adds an OB unit.
Hilton Head Hospital is sold to for-profit entities, with proceeds creating the Community Foundation of the Lowcountry, which has to date distributed some $75 million to causes throughout the Lowcountry.
The Heritage Classic Foundation is created, helping to rescue the PGA Tour tournament during the bankruptcy of its host resort and establishing stability moving forward with some $50 million distributed to charities to date.
Hurricane Matthew.
The Island Packet established.
David Lauderdale may be reached at LauderdaleColumn@gmail.com.