Change

“The greatest danger in times of turbulence is not the turbulence – it is to act with yesterday’s logic.”

The only constant in life is change. Whether we like it or not, it happens. Sometimes change is good, sometimes it’s not, but we have to go with the flow; we have no choice.

This photograph, taken in Kiev in 1900, features my great-grandfather, Jacob Primack, who was a Rabbi and teacher.

Fast forward one hundred and twenty-four years. Jacob could never have predicted the changes that would occur during his lifetime (he died in 1950) or that of his great-grandson, yours truly.

At the time of this photograph in Ukraine, there were no airplanes, cars, telephones, or radios. Today’s modern conveniences were unimaginable in the Ukraine of 1900. During his lifetime, Jacob also witnessed the widespread electrification of homes and businesses, and the introduction of refrigerators, washing machines, and vacuum cleaners.

In 1920, Jacob immigrated to the US from Ukraine with my paternal grandfather, Abraham. Like many Eastern European Jews of that era, they came to America to escape the pogroms, seeking a better life for their children, free from the fear of massacre because of their religious beliefs.

They found that life in Hartford, Connecticut, where I was born in 1949. Somehow, they survived the Great Depression and World War II. I only wish I had spoken more about their lives in the old country, with my Ukrainian forefathers.

As a baby boomer who grew up with a television in the living room, my life has always been one of constant change, both technologically and socially.

I’ve witnessed the development and use of nuclear energy for electricity generation and weapons. The launch of Sputnik in 1957 and the moon landing in 1969 (saw that in Central Park on a giant tv screen) were truly monumental events. Advances in medicine, such as antibiotics like penicillin and medical imaging technologies like X-rays and MRI, transformed healthcare and kept me alive.

It doesn’t stop there. I’ve witnessed the development and commercialization of the internet, which has revolutionized communication and information sharing. The rise of mobile phone technology brought widespread personal communication devices we use every day, and for some, every hour.

Genetic engineering and biotechnology, once the province of sci-fi, saw breakthroughs as well, including the cloning of Dolly the sheep in 1996. Personal computers became ubiquitous, with companies like Apple and Microsoft leading the way. The Global Positioning System changed navigation. The integration of computing and communication in smartphones revolutionized our interaction with technology.

It’s Not All Good

Social media platforms Facebook, Twitter, TikTok, and Instagram have revolutionized communication and social interaction, but this change has come with significant downsides. I now believe that the negative impacts outweigh the positive. Social media has led to a breakdown in genuine communication between people and has become a breeding ground for harmful ideas. It often highlights the worst aspects of humanity, driving people apart rather than bringing them together.

Honestly, there are times when I wish for a simpler life. In some ways, I’d like to go back to the way it was, the life I had growing up in the fifties and sixties. The music was better, that’s for sure. And our society wasn’t plagued by the polarization that divides us today. Our tools and toys are amazing, but human relations have declined significantly, particularly in the United States, a country on the edge of a dictatorship. Life on planet Earth has always been a battle of good vs. evil. Yet, our total destruction as a species is just a push of the wrong button away.

As long as I’m here, I’ll keep creating and fighting for what I know is right. But I’m in the closing chapters of this incredible journey. I have no idea how much time I might have left. None of us do. So I roll with the changes. I’m deep into AI right now, particularly AI video, which is about to revolutionize filmmaking. I want to, and will be, part of that.

I’ve never feared technology. I know it has two sides, good and bad, but I choose to focus on the positive. Doomsday fears of AI destroying humanity are unfounded. Those kinds of headlines just sell newspapers.

In my remaining tenure in this life, my goal is to help as many people as possible, to be a force for good. That requires certain sacrifices. But no problem for me. I’ve lived that way my whole life. Like my mentor, Ben Hecht, I don’t know any real survival secrets. I just know one thing: how to keep on going.