I grew up in an odd home, not much rock and roll in the air. What we did have was classical music and jazz. I had (and still have) an affinity for jazz.

One of my favorite versions of a standard is Dave Brubeck’s “Things Aren’t What They Used to Be.” My dad thought it odd that I preferred that version to the one he considered superior by Oscar Peterson. Peterson’s take was relaxed and easy. Brubeck’s was upbeat and bouncy.

That’s the beautiful thing about jazz: You get different iterations of standard tunes, each stamped with the performer’s style. That feels like a pretty good metaphor for life.

I recently responded to a friend’s Facebook post — a laundry list of ailments attached to ridiculous statistics (that’s a column for another day) claiming unprecedented growth in diagnoses. Autism sat at the top. But what all those ailments had in common was simple.

We know more about them now.

Fifty years ago, I was a year from existing, and autism diagnoses were rare. When you did hear about it, it was often a severe case: non-verbal, sensory overload, sometimes violent outbursts. Crucially, little research had been done. As the years passed, medical research refined our understanding. There is a spectrum. It’s not exactly a disease. We learned more — about autism and many other conditions.

Take Type II diabetes and heart disease. In a country as heavy as ours, cases rose. But our diagnostic tools improved, too. We recognize precursors earlier, intervene sooner, and treat more effectively.

Quite simply, things have changed for the better.

I was talking recently about the current generation of kids. As we age, we wax nostalgic about “the good old days.” The refrain appears on cue: “What’s wrong with these kids today?”

I know for a fact the baby boomers said it about Generation X. They were probably right in some ways. Now my generation says the same about Gen Z.

But I remember who we were. I remember my peer group. I remember the ridiculous things we did to make each other laugh. This was before the internet, smartphones, social media and TikTok challenges. If my friends and I had access to what kids have now? Game over.

I think today’s kids are smarter at certain things we weren’t even aware existed. They navigate complex information streams, social codes and technologies that didn’t exist for us. They speak multiple literacies at once. Do they stumble? Of course. We did, too — just analog.

So I go back to jazz. Peterson’s smooth. Brubeck’s bouncy. Same tune, different feel. Every generation takes the standard and makes it its own. We can grumble about the tempo, or we can listen for the new voicings, the unexpected accents, the surprising warmth.

Things aren’t what they used to be. Things have changed, and they will keep changing.

That’s the point. And that’s a good thing.