Entry bubble Turning One: Forty Years Later

By: Nancy | September 25, 2008 | Category: General

Baby Nancy and a jackolanternThree things have surprised me so far during Gov Gab's Birthday Week:

--The full heads of hair my fellow Gov Gabbers were sporting at the age of one, while I had more of an auburn fuzz going on. (I'm trying to beat down my feelings of inadequacy.)

--Joanne and I were born the same year. See, I thought for sure she was YOUNGER.

--And there was so much going on in 1968, the turbulent year that Joanne and I turned one:

Robert Kennedy and Martin Luther King, Jr., Vietnam, Nixon, Hendrix and the Hippies—I missed it all. I had no idea on the day that I staggered my first steps around the coffee table, blew out my candle and grabbed a fistful of buttercream icing that two African-American athletes were raising their fists at the Mexico Olympics in a black power salute.

Back then, my world was all about letting my parents know when my belly was empty and my diaper was full. My folks and the next door neighbors who sang "Happy Birthday" to me around the dining room table were my entire community. And that really was the definition of community in 1968—the people living in the grids of streets and tracts of homes around you.

Forty years later, "community" isn't just about where you live anymore; it's also about who you are, and connecting online with people who share your experiences, interests and concerns, regardless of the location of the plot of soil or patch of concrete you—or they—live on.

Government's changed in those forty years, too. Sure, you can still get lots of information about your in-person community to help you find out about your town's services and history. But government has also learned to give you information customized for your life experience community, whether you're a parent, a military vet or active duty, a senior, run a business or a nonprofit, are a government employee or are from another country and want to learn about or visit the US.

Wherever you are and whatever your life experience, we're so grateful that you're part of the Gov Gab community. We love hearing from you and always welcome your ideas. I just wish I could email you a slice of cake to say thanks!

Gov Gab birthday cake

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Entry bubble Happy Birthday, GovGab! When I was One…

By: Joanne | September 23, 2008 | Category: General

Baby Joanne holding a teddy bear, sitting on her father's lap.Light your incense and get out your love beads, because we’re getting into the way-back machine to travel to 1968. Our country was at war in Vietnam, there was unrest on our college campuses, Robert F. Kennedy and Martin Luther King, Jr. were assassinated, and Richard Nixon was elected president.

“Hey Jude” by The Beatles and “Love Child” by Diana Ross & The Supremes and “I Heard It Through the Grapevine” by Marvin Gaye all made it to #1 on the Billboard chart. “In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida” by Iron Butterfly was in the top 40 and Oliver!, based on the Charles Dickens novel Oliver Twist won the Academy Award for Best Picture.

When I look back, I see that there are many things in government that happened that we take for granted today. The Fair Housing Act, which prohibits discrimination in the sale and rental of housing, became law. Apollo 8’s three man crew was the first to orbit the moon (we didn’t land on the moon until Apollo 11 in 1969). And the network of scenic, historic, and recreation trails was created by the National Trails System Act of 1968.

Back in 1968, if you wanted to contact the government, you had to physically go to the specific office, write a letter, or make a telephone call—probably long distance. If you didn't know which federal agency to contact, you just had to take a guess and hope whoever you reached would be helpful, and know something about which agency did what. That is, unless you were lucky enough to live in one of the seven cities that had a Federal Information Center. Then you could make a local call, or visit the Center in person, and a trained Information Specialist would help you get to the right office. In 2008, the Federal Information Center program has grown into a nationwide government information service that you can reach by calling 1 (800) FED INFO. That's 1 (800) 333-4636, and information agents are available to answer your questions in English or Spanish from 8 AM to 8 PM EST.

So much has changed since I was one. Many things have changed for the better, I think. As we look forward to our second year of blogging, we want to hear from you and get your ideas for how our blog can serve you in the present and the future.

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