Our changing world

Taken on Ptarmigan Ridge last week

I am still enjoying looking at the astounding pictures I got on the hike last Thursday: clouds, fog, mountains, all in perfect hiking weather. It was so good to be out again, and to have my knee hold up just fine, along with all the other parts of my body that have been giving me trouble lately. And I didn't fall! Not once.

There are so many ways that our social environment is changing right before our eyes. Just this morning I read that the Merriam-Webster Dictionary has added "their" as an acceptable alternative to using "his" or "her." There is a wonderful article by André Wheeler on The Guardian that gives a long description of how it's come about. Here's an  excerpt:

The recognition of “they” as a singular, non-gender-specific pronoun comes as its usage grows in popularity, especially among people who identify as neither male nor female. However, these adoptees frequently face critics who claim the usage is not “grammatically correct.”

I consider myself to be a bit of a stickler for correct language usage. It's been obvious from the many cultural changes in the past few decades that gender-neutral pronouns are becoming more necessary. So, I bow to the new world we are now facing. Oh, and I ran across this absolutely hilarious video of a father having "the talk" with his son, and realizing he should have done his homework a bit better. I apologize for the lead-in ad, but you can skip it after a few seconds.

Yes, the world is changing. I hope I'll be around for a few more years to see how it all turns out politically. But whatever, I am already happy for the time I've had to enjoy watching the evolution. :-)