The World Almanac and Book of Facts 2007 have outlined certain trends over the years.

• Top country of origin for US residents born outside the country: Germany (in 1990) vs. Mexico (in 2000).

• Average cost in terms of annual tuition fees and fees for a 4-year private college/university: Approximately $1800 (in 1980) vs. almost $19,000 (in 2005) - or about 9-10 times increase in a quarter century.

• US median price of an existing single family home: $90,000 (in 1990) vs. ~$220,000 (in 2005).

Of course, other than these statistics, our lives are also changing everyday as we see more technological advances, including Bill Gates' and Microsoft's Vista and other softwares, Steve Jobs' and Apple's iphone, ipod, and the mac computer, new generations of cell phones, and novel gadgets and other developments in almost every field of science and medicine and even the arts.  Defining the direction of our future begins with a mastery of ourselves and of our surroundings. This is true no matter what age group we belong to. The onus is on us to keep pace with the countless innovations around us. We cannot afford to be just spectators if we are to be honest with and say to ourselves that we have the power to improve and enhance the quality of our lives and that of others.