I have a canoe older than that

A century just isn’t what it used to be.

The building where I write this column turns 100 years old this year. So does my house.

I remember visiting relatives who lived in a century-old home when I was a kid. The place seemed ancient. After all, it had been built before the start of the Civil War.

Now I live in a house built in 1915, and while it does seem a little dated, it’s only 37 years older than me. I have a canoe older than that bought with paper route money when I was 16. A 17-foot aluminum Grumman, it came with a lifetime guarantee that I gave little thought to at the time of purchase...