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You are all familiar
with the old saying, "nostalgia is just not what it used to be." My guess
is the older we get and the more we have experienced and seen, the more we
long for what we call the good ole days. I also believe those good ole
days only go back so far. As a boy born and raised in the country, there
are a few things that I would not like to return to. Outdoor toilets and
no running water would come to mind right off. I don’t think there is a
day goes by when I don’t thank the good Lord for a nice hot shower and a
library seat where I don’t have to put up fly-paper to keep pests at bay.
I miss the good ole days when women dressed in dresses and a well turned
ankle would cause a man to turn his head. When we took a trip by train or
bus we dressed in our Sunday best. If we were lucky enough to travel by
plane we dressed to the nines, complete with white shirt and tie and
ladies wore hats with their dresses with matching shoes and purses. When a
lady came into the room the men stood and when we met a lady in the street
we tipped our hats. Men held the door for their ladies and "seated" them
in a restaurant.
I miss the good ole days when music was written and played from the heart.
When a song was a love poem put to music, where bow and string took you
off to your imaginary world with your favorite girl. When moon light and
stars were for spooning, when dancing gave you a chance to hold that one
so close. When a crooner could make you believe there was love and hope
and delight in your future.
I miss the good ole days when business was conducted with a hand shake. A
man’s word was his bond. If a man gave his word he kept it. If a man said
he would do something, you could take it to the bank.
I miss the good ole
days when there was not only the law of the land but also the law of
common sense. We watched out for our neighbors. We watched out for our
neighbors property and their children. We kept up with their families by
talking over the backyard fence and over coffee in the kitchen. Children
ran the neighborhoods and played safe until the games were called by
darkness or by having no one left to play with when the other children
were called in one by one for baths and bedtimes.
I miss the good ole days when summer days were spent building scooters
using old roller skates and shipping crates and soap box cars were built
using real soap boxes and the wheels off the old baby carriages. It was
wonderful to head to the municipal swimming pool which was a place along
the river called rock bar.
I miss the good ole days when immigrants were welcomed to this country.
How they struggled to learn the language and the basic constitution
questions in order to take the oath of citizenship. How their eyes and the
eyes of their families would swell in tears as they became brand new
citizens.
I miss the good ole days when the only thing better than waiting for
football in the fall was to await the new model cars that would be rolling
into the show rooms. Their new swept wing finders, wrap around windshields
and enough chrome to blind you on a sunny afternoon.
I miss the good ole days when news people reported the news. The
editorials were labeled as such and were never given as news facts.
Editorials were opinions and well, you know what they say about opinions.
I miss the good ole days when the United States was the most powerful
country in the world, not because of the power of its army or navy, but by
the power of its word. When it gave its word it was kept. If a friend
needed help we gave, when people of the world needed something we were
there. When the citizens of their country needed help, it responded with
help.
One thing that would not change if we returned to the good ole days would
be politics. If Will Rogers were alive today he could still use the
material he used then and it would be just as appropriate as far as
politics and politicians are concerned. Take for instance the following
two quotes:
"I don’t make jokes, I just watch the government and report the facts"
"This country has come to feel the same when congress is in session as
when the baby gets hold of a hammer."
I miss the good ole days. What kind of world will our grandchildren be
living in if these days are their good ole days.
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