The more things change...

I am writing this blog entry from the back of the National Party Convention, listening to campaign speeches by candidates for Lieutenant Governor, Governor, and US Senator. I attended Boys' State in 1984 and in the 2+ decades since, this program has undergone some remarkable changes (more on that later). A lot of others things have changed as well - there are no more pay phones to be found on campus (and thus no one lined up in front of the phones waiting for their turn to call home each night) as cell phones and PDAs have become the norm, the internet is everywhere thanks to WiFi, and digital cameras and DVD recorders capture all the action and allow it to be shared immediately, without having the 3-day wait for the pictures to be developed.

But tonight I am struck but how many things remain the same. Many of the issues, like healthcare, the right to choose, the economy, school funding, liberty and freedom are among those that we were talking about from the podium and still remain at the forefront a generation later. JFK is still the most widely quoted politician. Even the Celtics are providing some generational continuity by being back in the finals. Tomorrow I think I'll go to the Boys' State Office and see if I can dig up some old pictures and post them here, seeing them along side the picture of these young men who are the Class of 2008 should be interesting. More to come...