The baby boomers and World War II generation or the “older” among us usually take the rap for this. But the young are as guilty as the old — loving current and futurist trends and rejecting the firm foundations and norms of yesterday and vice versa.

At different times, I find myself standing in one of these roles as a lover of past innovations and rejecting the new or gravitating to the cutting edge and forgetting what has worked in the past quite well. But I have discovered with age, it becomes apparent the real treasure of truth for itself == the truth that applied yesterday will apply tomorrow. Maybe it is couched in different circumstances. Maybe it is expressed in unique forms, but its foundation is always sure.

I do love one who questions the presented norm for society and culture and creative innovation, but I am less enthused at those who insist on remaking the wheel just because the idea is not new and birthed from the cradle of youth.

Truth, pure innovation and creative genius begin with the fear of God and  transcend time.

The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; all who follow his precepts have good understanding. To him belongs eternal praise [Psalm 111:10].

I am looking at my life and ideas and determining where I am stuck in the mud. I believe my pathway should include embracing the blessings and light of both the past and the future without resistance.

Wine, coins, stamps, artifacts, cheese, etc. grow better with age. Some of these recipes are ages old and need never be changed. They are perfection. What may and should change with time is the mechanics around developing these treasures — new casks, bottles, wrappers, marketing, etc. These evolve with the times.

The art, music, literature, inventions, discoveries of yesteryear still speak and have lasting value. They have a place. And these may not compare to the art and innovations of tomorrow, but they should not be deleted or dismissed.

Youth must learn to restrain the urge to delete. It’s just so easy to wipe it all out. What a loss. The older must not hit delete either as the world of tomorrow develops at light speed into an unrecognizable animal. What impoverished lives both would lead without the riches of the yesterday and tomorrow.

A young person once said to me she wanted her house decorated by a young decorator that way her house would look current with trends. I told her I thought the God-given gift for art and beauty transcend age and generation. That gift can grow even more intense and refined with age. It may be that youth do not have the eyes to see or appreciate it because of lack of experience.

In other words the gift of creative artistic genius is not limited to the age of a person; it is not better if it is youth developed or older person developed. It shines through any transparent glass. Its delivery and gift to mankind is not bound by the limitations of age as we understand.

I am reminding myself: Don’t cling inflexibly to the old and refuse the new; likewise, don’t resist the old and hold rigidly to the new.