Barbara J. Hamby

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Transitions

In the latter part of a long life, transitions should become easier with all the practice that’s taken place. But, contrary to the old saying, practice doesn’t always “make perfect.”

Early transitions: from infancy to some independence, from blissful lack of knowledge (in spite of greedy curiosity) to school and learning to read can be traumatic, but less so with parental preparation. The transition from childhood to puberty can be jarring for the unprepared, as many of my generation were. Subsequent transitions, as I recall, don’t seem to be eased by their frequency. We who were children during the depression, then lived through World War II and subsequent wars and skirmishes, faced more than our share of transitions.

It could be argued that many children today face constant transitions when their substance-dependent parents can’t properly care for them. Some of their grandparents must return to the responsibilities of parenthood. The substance-dependent adults may or may not return to useful lives. Their transitions may be to incarceration or death. The powers that be in our society don’t seem to know how to change those conditions.

Thinking of the transitions in my own later life, it seems they have come at me in fast forward. Perhaps it’s a good thing, maybe not. It might stimulate me to learn more effective problem-solving skills, or not. At any rate, it’s certain I’ll not suffer boredom very soon.

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