I find it so interesting that today, most people reject history. I find more and more the younger population really has no idea about Ohio history, world history, our country’s history, or that they even listen to the old stories from their elders.

To me, they seem to think that if you are retired, it’s time to put you in the old folk home or out to pasture. I look at my own career. For most of 30 years, I had a commission with the Delaware County Sheriff’s Office. I saw so many changes from being around for so long. At one time, the Sheriff’s Office did not have a third shift. A deputy that lived close to the east side of the county and one that lived close to the west side of the county would drive a car home. If an emergency call came in, the radio dispatcher would call the officer’s home to give him the call.

The Sheriff’s Office also ran the first emergency squad service. Today, if I talk with any of the new deputies, I tell them that there were times that I was the only road officer working the entire county. The new guys look at me like I’m crazy. During those early days of working alone, I learned how to talk myself out of a lot of serious situations. I find that throughout history, each generation has the same problem. The younger population seems not to respect the older population.

I was raised in a time when children were to be seen and not heard. When I got the chance, I would sneak around the corner to listen to the stories from the old folks before being told to get lost. I reflect on our national treasures called the Greatest Generation. My father was a WWII vet. He never said much about what he did in the war. My mother went to California and stayed with a relative while dad was doing his training. It was so interesting some of the stories she told about the trip on a train with a toddler. One story told was about how some Army guys would watch my brother while she got a little sleep on the train. What a different time. Could you imagine today leaving your child on a train with someone that you did not know?

That generation is disappearing by the minute. I have found in my own work that talking to the people that did your job in the past could teach you things that you may not have known. You look at how this area has changed so much in the last 10 years, and especially how different this area is compared to 20 or 30 years ago. So many businesses have lost so much information from the people that came before. A lot of them were pioneers leading the way for change and creating the current position. The new guy comes into the position without thinking about the person that came before helping create it. They don’t think about the previous person that built the path to something new.

If you are an employer, you should look back at the personnel that help create your office. They may still have some useful knowledge to pass on. There are people out there that have already done what you are thinking. It really amazes me how we are still all dealing with the same circumstances in some way. My biggest recommendation would be to not sweat the small stuff. The bigger stuff will fall in line.