“Things aren’t different, things are things.” — William Gibson, author.

Using the words “when I was your age,” by one generation to the next, is what psychologists call the “reminiscence bump,” remembering the positive with more clarity than the negative, mostly associated with the transition years of youth to adult. The feature “Looking Back” in the Alpena News gives meaning to the phrase, “the more things change, the more they stay the same.” Generations face different circumstances, but the same basic challenges.

“In this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes.” — Benjamin Franklin, letter to Jean Baptiste Le Roy, 1789.

Add to that war and remembrance. On Jan. 14, 1920, the Alpena News reported that the Red Cross was making photographs of the graves of soldiers fallen in WWI available to the next of kin in Michigan. With the signing of the Treaty of Versailles in June 1919, the hope was with the end of the “war to end all wars,” that the 53,402 U.S. combat casualties did not die in vain. Within 20 years, WWII — “the big one” — resulted in 291,557 casualties.

On Jan. 3, 1970, the Alpena News reported that 77 had been drafted in 1969 and an additional 62 would be called in 1970. In 1973, during the Vietnam War, the contentious conscription into service ended with the decision to move to a volunteer army. In the same time frame, salute to troops at broadcast sporting events became more promotional, as in Super Bowl LIV, celebrities, military jet flyovers, and field-sized flags.

“Animals in our lives can be a blessing.” — J. Wesley Porter, “A Spiritual Dog: ‘Bear.'”

Problems with domesticated animals gone astray, has been a problem, and is growing. On Jan. 10, 1920, a law was passed requiring all dogs be on the owners’ property by sunset. Abandoned animals are damaging to the environment, and pose a risk to health — on Jan. 16, 1970, it was reported that a local woman had contracted rabies from the bite of a feral cat.

Coverage of these two issues can be followed in the Alpena News. Open the paper and you will see small flags marking the obituaries of those who have served in the military. It is a sad but inevitable marking of time since the nation relied on citizen soldiers. There are now two facilities dealing with stray and abandoned pets — the Huron Humane Society and the Alpena County Animal Facility.

The local newspaper becomes a memoir of the life and times of the community. For about 75 cents a day you can get the Alpena News’ print edition delivered to your home. From the headlines to the weather on the back, there is national, state, and local news, and opinion, with separate sections for sports, comics, and classified.

One last note, the report of two brothers, formerly of Alpena, falling through the ice cover on the Straits of Mackinac December 27, 1969, is a reminder to be cautious — it might not be as thick as in the past.

“Each generation imagines itself to be more intelligent than the one that went before it, and wiser than the one that comes after it.” — George Orwell, author.

Tom Brindley grew up in Iowa, and studied journalism and accounting. He is a retired controller from Alpena Community College and has been active in local nonprofit organizations. Reach him at bindletom@hotmail.com. Read him here the first and fifth Thursday of each month.