What these eyes have seen

I’ve got a Christmas column that I’m planning on writing. I’m hoping some of you readers out there might help me out on two problems I have.

First, I’m looking for a few local residents from Washington County in their 90’s. The project is to ask them a series of questions about changes they’ve seen and experienced in their lives.

Second, I don’t want the questions to come from me. I want them to come from kindergarten and elementary children.

Wouldn’t that be interesting?

Think about it!

A person 90 years old would have been born in 1918. Think of all the historic events that they would have lived through!

This was the year World War I ended. They would have been 11 when the Great Depression started; 29 when atomic bombs were dropped on Japan; 32 at the start of the Korean War; 51 when the first men landed on the moon. The list stretches out before me.

Oh, yeah, what about all the advancements in technology?

They would have seen the first radios, the first televisions, the first planes and jets, the first cars, the first telephones, the first electricity brought to homes, the first movies, the first computers and on and on.

Here’s what got me interested in writing this story.

A friend of mine in another county has a grandmother who is 100 years old. She still reads the newspaper every morning and is as sharp as a tack. They went to a restaurant a month ago for her birthday. A couple came up to them and said they had overheard she was 100. They were amazed as most anyone would be and begged to ask her a question. The grandmother said of course. They asked her what was the greatest change she’s experienced over her long life.

The reply was “transportation.”

She lived on a farm out in the county as a child. They seldom went to town. She said it was such an ordeal to get there in their horse and wagon. The trip would take hours. She said it still amazes her that anyone can get in a car and be anywhere in the county in such a short amount of time.

That fascinated me. I wondered what other questions would be equally fascinating for a person with so much living under their belt.

I could come up with questions myself but I wanted to make this article really interesting. Why not have the youngest residents of Washington County ask the oldest residents their questions?

I’m hoping the teachers at St. Dominic, North Washington Elementary, and Washington County Elementary would pose this one simple question to their students.

What would you ask someone who is nearly 100 years old?

If you do it, then I promise to read every question submitted to me. I’ll pick 10 of the best and brightest questions and use them to interview the person involved. The student’s name, age, class and school will appear in my column along with their question.

This leads to the second request for help.

I’ve got a few people in mind that are in their 90’s for this project. But I’m wondering if you know of someone that might enjoy me interviewing them using the questions from these youngsters. Just let me know.

I plan on publishing this article around Christmas time. I’d like to see questions from the students by no later than Oct. 31, but the sooner the better.

All replies to the above can be sent to me at 1950 Lincoln Park Road, Springfield, KY 40069, or e-mailed to ken@thespringfieldsun.com or ken@readthesun.com.

Thanks for your help!