A New Year's Resolution for the Next 100 Years

By FATHER BOB PAGLIARI, C.SS.R., Ph.D.

When soda was created and rapidly became America's most popular thirst quencher, many folks believed that drinking ordinary tap water would become a thing of the past. And they howled at the thought that people would actually PAY to drink a bottle of water. But Poland Spring and the Culligan Man certainly proved them wrong.

Similarly as soon as television was invented everyone presumed that both portable radios and big movie-screen auditoriums were doomed to the archives of the media museums. However, the i-Pods and the multiplex cinema theater centers very quickly gave those assumptions a re-run for their money.

And when Internet e-mails cut a chunk of revenue out of Post Office profits, many employees at the greeting card factories must have wondered if their poetry-writing skills were about to be auctioned off at the next Antiques Roadshow along side of the old-fashioned school desks that had built-in inkwells and hand-held rocker blotters! But judging from the amount of postage spent on season's greetings just last month alone, it seems unlikely that American Greetings will be shelving Shoeboxes full of musical musing up into Grandma's attic any time soon.

During a recent visit to a Hallmark store, I was amazed to find that a whole new line of birthday greetings has been added to their ever-expanding lineage of age-specific wishes. We're all familiar with the tried and true ones: Happy Birthday Sweet 16; Now That You're Legally 21; As You Turn 40; Life Begins at 50; Since You've Reached the Summit of Your 60s; etc., etc. etc. However, now they've included this even more astounding announcement. The cover of the card trumpets: "You're 100 Years Young." That's correct. There are birthday cards on the shelves marketed specifically for people who are a century old.

I have to admit I was taken aback. Suddenly I was standing before a new niche in the industry for a generation of folks who are living and enjoying life longer than ever before. I confess I don't know anyone personally who will be celebrating a centennial this year. Even so, I couldn't resist the temptation to pick up this card and read what was inside. After all, what is an appropriate sentiment to write to someone who is about to become 100 years old? To my surprise, the message was profoundly simple. It read: The world has become a better place because of you. Happy 100th Birthday.

Perhaps the best New Year's resolution we can make, regardless of how young or old we are, is that by the end of this year other people could say about us: The world has become a better place because of you. Happy 2007.

Comments can be sent to FatherBobPagliari@Yahoo.com

Return to CNY Homepage