Generation Game

I'VE come to realise the meaning of the words generation gap.

In the past, I believed, it didn't really exist. There I was still able to talk about the pop charts and the latest Hollywood blockbuster as though being more mature than others around didn't matter.

To me it was more of a generation game rather than a generation gap.

But it comes as a shock when suddenly it is apparent that there is a generation gap.

You can't talk with any authority on computer games or the complex uses of a mobile phone.

To tell the truth I don't really mind. But I've now been ridiculed for not knowing about Facebook.

It seems that it is an internet site which allows people to have a group of like-minded individuals to build a website community. Well, I think that's what it is.

The whole question was raised during the weekend when we had a reunion of Crow reporters.

These were the reporters that had begun a career in journalism here and have gone in different directions to work on evening newspapers, or in public relations or, in one case, for the Conservative Party.

Each was armed with a miniature digital camera and was endlessly taking photographs as we moved around Royston visiting the haunts from the past.

The idea, so I was told, was that these pictures could appear on this thing called Facebook, so everyone could witness the activities undertaken on a night out.

One of the ex-staff decided in a casual sort of way to tell me that each picture would be posted to Facebook. In fact, they said the pictures would be posted on my Facebook.

What? The lack of knowledge of such an everyday piece of technology caused shock and horror.

Suddenly I was aware of the generation gap.

But once each and every one of them had got over such a display of ignorance there was a promise that a site would be set up just in case there was any desire for me to keep in touch.

Well, I thought, I can do that by picking up a phone and having a real conversation.

But that, I suppose, is old-fashioned.