Janis & Travis: A Dictionary of Our Lives

 

Travis and I were born at exactly the right time to witness one of the greatest transformations in human history—from radio to artificial intelligence, from handwritten letters to video calls, from encyclopedias to carrying nearly all human knowledge in our pockets.

Through it all, I have tried to remain curious.

I hope that when I am ninety-eight, I'll still be asking questions like, "What words are my age?" Curiosity is one of the qualities that keeps our world from shrinking as we grow older. That matters deeply to me, and I think this little dictionary reflects that.

What words are our contemporaries?

It's almost impossible to know exactly when a word was "born," but dictionaries usually record the first known appearance of a word in print.

Together, these words tell a story.

Travis arrived as the world was ending a war and beginning the long work of rebuilding. Three years later, I arrived as America was turning toward technology, psychology, sports, and consumer life.

1945 — Travis

Travis was born into a remarkable year. 1945 didn't just mark the end of World War II—it also introduced a number of memorable words into the English language.

Walkie-talkie — His generation was born into the age when voices first traveled freely through the air. Today, the descendants of that technology allow our grandchildren to carry the world's knowledge in their pockets.

Golden years — The phrase was born with Travis, though it probably seemed impossibly far away in 1945. Now those golden years have become not an ending, but a season of wisdom, caregiving, and gratitude.

Cold War — Much of Travis's working life unfolded beneath these two words. They shaped politics, science, education, and even the space race.

Snorkel — A reminder that after years of war, people began thinking once again about vacations, beaches, and simply enjoying life.

Point man — Originally the soldier who walked first into danger, it later came to mean the person everyone depends upon. Every family has one at different times.

Consumer Price Index — Not a romantic phrase, but one that influenced every paycheck, retirement account, and grocery bill throughout our marriage.

Zero hour — A phrase that captures those moments when life changes in an instant.

UNESCO — An organization born from the hope that nations could learn from one another instead of fighting one another.

Passive-aggressive — A psychological term reflecting the postwar interest in understanding human behavior rather than merely judging it.

A-bomb — Perhaps the darkest word on the list. It reminds us that Travis's generation inherited both extraordinary scientific achievement and extraordinary responsibility.

1948 — Janis

Circuit board — I arrived just as the seeds of the digital world were being planted. From working in defense purchasing to managing Shopify inventory to learning French on my iPhone, I've lived through its entire evolution.

Short-term memory — Psychologists were beginning to study how people think. Decades later, I'm still trying to keep mine sharp by learning French at seventy-eight.

Jump shot — Basketball was coming into it's own as one of the world's most popular sports. Progress often comes through small innovations rather than complete reinvention.

Package deal — America was becoming prosperous. Stores, advertising, and modern consumer culture were beginning to flourish.

Oddball — This may be my favorite. Sometimes the people who take their own path contribute something unique. It's perfectly all right to be a little different.

Israeli — A new nation entered the world's vocabulary, reminding us that language records history as it happens.

Deutsche Mark — Europe was rebuilding itself after unimaginable destruction.

Shoot-out — A word that grew out of America's fascination with Westerns and the movies.

Circuitry — Even more than circuit board, this word symbolizes the invisible connections that would eventually link the entire world.

Perhaps our lives can be measured not only by the years we've lived, but also by the words that entered the language alongside us and by whether we've remained curious enough to keep discovering new ones. 

Janis @ Maison Tranquille

Still Curious. Still Growing. Still Grateful.