What'd You Do In The War, Grandpa?

I notice no one ever wants to know about anyone else's childhood. I always grew up hearing about all the stuff you'd be able to tell your grandchildren. And all that.

But I personally never meet anyone who goes, "What'd you used to do" at such and such a time? Like when you were a kid. Or a teenager. No one is especially interested.

I struck up a conversation with a guy about my age -- he's two years older -- meaning he was an older teen in the '60s. He was looking fairly more worse off than I, having had a stroke and needing to use a cane. I'm blessed in that I haven't had a stroke ... yet ... and if my doctor knows what he's talking about, there's not one in the near future.

Anyway, there he was, sitting there. And I got into a conversation with him. And asked him about what he was up to in the '60s. He still has his hair down, almost like a Beatles haircut, which doesn't necessarily look that great on an older guy, but it indicates something about what he was probably into 40-45 years ago.

When I asked him about this, he looked very happy. Got a smile on his face. I said something about "kids like us," etc., and he was happy to say a few things about what he was doing as a kid, how he met a particular girl, etc. Very happy.

Why would he be so happy? Because no one is interested. I don't know him but I'd bet there's not one other person in the last 10 years who's come up to him and asked about his past, what he was doing way back when.

So if you want to make someone happy ... try it ... get them aside and be interested in what they were doing when they were young ... people really want to tell you ... and you'll probably have a friend for life.