Adam Blatner

The desk clerk was a young man who responded to matter-of-fact arrangements being made at a hotel with such phrases, instead of saying “okay,” “good,” or “yes, Ma’am.”

It’s strange when young people say “awesome” to describe fortunate but really rather mundane events. Or when something has evidently been a big problem, but they work it out and sign off with a flip “No problem.” I want to shout, “Well, it was a big doggone problem to me!” But that’s just their way of speaking, modern talk. I’m such an olfart. “Olfart” is a term, a conjunction of two words, one being “old,” that I use to acknowledge that there comes a time in life when language and other things are getting away from you.

Our parents must have felt this way when we said, “far out,” “groovy,” or “keep on truckin’,” so it’s not as if our generation is any better than kids today. It’s interesting that “cool” has lasted so long. Ah, language.