Skip to main content
Wednesday, November 11, 2026Nov 11

Kennedy: Why I let my 13-year-old install a ceiling fan

electric ceiling fan in motion, spinning around, colour image fan tile / Getty Images
electric ceiling fan in motion, spinning around, colour image fan tile / Getty Images electric ceiling fan in motion, spinning around, colour image fan tile / Getty Images

Sometimes the generation gap in my family feels like a canyon.

Case in point: Last Saturday, I took our 13-year-old son to see a Chattanooga Red Wolves soccer game. As the home team walked onto the field, the PA system played Elvis Presley’s lyrical ballad: “Can’t Help Falling in Love.”

“Wow,” I said, “I can’t believe they are playing Elvis.”

“Who the heck is Elvis?” my son asked, taking a swig from his bottle of water.

At first, I was startled by his question. But why?