Why don't I write about my special fields?

Many of you have emailed me, over time, as to why I do not post blog entries about all my special interest areas.

There are several of them - plastics technology, polymer science and technology, microelectronics materials and processes, stamps, coins, management, finance, Apple / Macs, and several others.

Today the answer dawned on me.

In the past, it had been hard work to stay abreast all the developments in all these fields. But it had been a worthwhile, financially rewarding and an enjoyable chore. I used to read books and magazines, search the internet, and also attend and make speeches at conferences as well as write papers and articles on most of these subjects. I had been the life and soul at many international conferences, talking to my friends in these fields, trading ideas and generating many hundred new ones.

It had been good while it lasted.

Then I retired officially and the same drive was not there to keep abreast of all these subjects. I was enjoying my new role as a social animal rather than a knowledge beast!

During the last couple of years, I used to boast that when I wake up every morning I do not need to know anything about anything!

I was sitting with Samu, my 13 year old grandson, yesterday evening, watching television. He told me that the diamond was the hardest material on this earth. I had some doubt about it.

My daughter, who was in the room, asked him to "iPhone" it. (Just a year or so ago we would have used the term "Google" it!)

Samu, like his mother, have beautiful iPhones, which they love and use constantly. Although being a Apple / Mac user for over 25 years, I don't, and probably will not, as I cannot manage the small text, and am not happy with the flipping technology to see a complete line of text on a screen!

The first entry Samu found on his iPhone was interesting. It turned up an abstract which said that till 2009, diamond had been the hardest material known on earth, but now nanotechnolgy had produced harder materials.

I asked him to look up nanotechnology. But before he did, he told me that a new materials which could stop a bullet, but was thin as paper had been developed using nanotechnology. He gave me quite a graphic introduction into this area.

I was glad to be educated by this 13 year old.

On his iPhone, he turned up some details of fulrene science. The structure was most interesting as it was still polymer technology, and I had not read much in this field over the last 5 years!

Then it dawned on me that I was no more at the forefront of knowledge in areas where once I had been the source of all information to persons around me.

Although I did not enjoy being in this position where I was no longer "up-to-date", I felt good that I was knowing less than my 13 year old grandson, as he and his generation are the ones who should know about these things, not me.

At the age of 67 (yes, I will attain that age tomorrow!), it is important to focus on fewer areas and let the younger generation be in charge of modern knowledge.

I felt happy that, as I had retired, I was not required to know these developments, although I did feel some degree of shame!

But I felt proud to be educated in "my field" by my grandson.

Thank you, Samu!