103 years ago, i.e. the end of 1918, WWI was just over with the Armistice of the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month: 11/11/1918.

In March of 1918, the first documented case of “Spanish flu” was in Kansas. There is some confusion and/or wartime censor suppressed news that the original outbreak was in Spain. The flu was caused by the H1N1 influenza A virus.

And while most flu outbreaks disproportionately kill the young and the old, the 1918 pandemic had unusually high mortality for young adults. Scientist’s explanations are that the virus was particularly deadly because it triggered a cytokine storm … hmm … where have I heard that ??? Additionally, there were no drugs or vaccines to treat it at that time.

I am currently reading a book series that takes place in late Summer/early Autumn of 1918 in Pennsylvania, U.S. The parallels to many things happening now are interesting and thought provoking. In addition to the impending pandemic, which was initially thought to be confined to the military, there were the “at war” restrictions: rationing of food, clothing, fuel and other materials needed for the war effort as well as the “Espionage Act of 1917” and “Sedition Act of 1918” which fueled a government/law enforcement oversee of public opinion. Holy Cow! That makes some current thinking about mask requirements being tyrannical a bit of a non-starter!

As I have read current opinion, I have often thought: “Really!!! Have you not read history of WWI and WWII ? Have you not read of the restrictions that were years in place and all that was part of the war effort ?” The whining of many of us is appalling to me.

Stepping off my soapbox … almost …

The other things that struck me as I progress through the series of 1918 goings on … the amount of changes in 100-103 years! On one hand, 100 plus years seems like a long time, but as a person who is 66, with grandparents born in 1900-1910, 100 years seems not so much.

Automobiles: motors to autos to cars … current vehicles being governed by chip sets …

Air travel: yes, well … there was some commercial air travel in the late 1920’s. I remember flying to NYC approximately 1967 in a propeller plane, where my family was in a “compartment”. Flight was very exciting, I disliked NYC intensely, which maybe explains me being in Montana :)

Telephone: infancy of rotary dial to smartphone … holy darn cow!! and much of that happening exponentially in the last 10-12 years.

TV – television – telly – streaming video. My first memory of television was grainy black and white. And then a red-green color version in early color tv. And now “big screen tv” which I do not have because I am happy streaming whatever to my iPad/iPhone/computer and smallish smart TV … all at high definition!

Women’s rights: in the U.S. women got the right to vote 8/18/1920 … a scant 101 years ago. It was an arduous undertaking … suffragist movement and push back and good grief!!! It really was not so long ago that women gave all rights and money/property/income to their husbands on marriage. When you consider the timeline, it is just three generations from today.

Some minutiae: toaster in 1918 was just evolving to an appliance that toasted on both sides!! As a toast aficionado, this was a very important detail to me!

As we barrel to the end of 2021 and beginning of 2022, I think it behooves all of us to reflect on the past and consider what the past has to contribute to our future.