I think of gravel roads not yet paved, and vast countrysides not yet subdivised.
I think of drive-in movies instead of walk-in theaters.
I think of little country stores instead of huge shopping centers.
I think of payphones instead of smartphones.
I think of tire swings.
I think of swimming in creeks and lakes.
I think of running around outside bare footed and drinking from water hoses- and no one thinking anything of it.
I think of going to yard sales and flea markets with Grandma
I think of RC colas and Moon Pies.
I think of chewing Super Bubble bubble Gum.
I think of riding around in the backs of pickup trucks.
I think of acid/hair bands instead of emo bands…Kansas, Journey, Boston, Van Halen, Whitesnake and Mötley Crue.
I think of going to church with Uma.
I think of real TV shows like “Dukes of Hazzard,” “Dallas,” “BJ and the Bear,” and “Chips,” instead of reality shows.
I think of box office movies like “Smokey and the Bandit,” “Jaws,” “Star Wars,” “ET,” and “The Goonies,” instead of the crappy movies of today.
I think of eating at the dinner table instead of in front of the TV or computer.
I think of big old Victorian houses with huge wrap-around porches.
I think of wood stoves and homemade ice cream straight from my grandmother’s ice-cream churn.
I think of shelling peas and shucking corn with Grandma.
I think of fist fights instead of gun fights.
I think of The Lord’s Prayer and The Pledge of Allegiance at the beginning of every school day.
I think of long summer days spent climbing trees, running, skating, bike riding and playing Hide-and-seek instead of sitting in the house playing video games and texting.
I think of running home when the first of the street lights started blinking on in the evening when the sun went down.
I think of Mom or Uma giving out a loud whistle when it was time for lunch and dinner and hearing that whistle for several blocks.
I think of big family Thanksgivings and Christmases.
I think of watching Saturday morning cartoons like “The Bugs Bunny-Roadrunner Show,” “Tweety & Sylvester,” “Pepe Le Pew,” “Yogi Bear,” “Scooby Doo,” “Popeye,” and other TV goodies.
I think of Halloweens when the neighborhood was crawling with trick-or-treaters. No one considered it the devil’s holiday, not even those in church but just an innocent night of fun and playing dress up.
I think of watching “It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown.”
I think of watching “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” and “Frosty the Snowman” during the Christmas season.
Most of all, I think of living in an America that treated its servicemen and women with honor…an America where political correctness wasn’t overblown…an America which was moral, God-fearing, and free of the fear of terrorism within its borders.
I feel sorry for the kids today. I feel sorry for anyone thirty or younger. If only they could get a taste of the world we grew up in. It’s sad that freedom is dying in America.
Those days weren’t just great. They were magical! Those were the days of freedom!
You just described my childhood, and yeah, that was such a better time. Great post!!
Thank you so much! Don’t you just wish you could go back, if only for a day? 🙂
All the time. Like you said, even for just one day. That would be amazing.
It sure would! 🙃
Beautiful.
Thank you so much, Amber! ❤
Yeah. I remember many of those same things. Just think, these are going to be somebody’s “Good old days.”
Amen to that, Herb! They’re already ours I think, since the world we grew up in has passed away.
It’s True i Remember
‘Those Days’ Too
They Were
Great
Overall
For me too
Yet not Great
For Everyone
Let’s Remember
Still Them True
Like the People
Who Couldn’t Travel
North in My County
Then
For
Real
Fear of
Not Coming
Back Home
And This Isn’t
Even Vietnam
The Place my
First Cousin
Died
In An
Helicopter
Burning Up
Only Ashes
Left of
His American
Dream of Freedom
To Save And Celebrate
All Ages Times
Spaces Distances
Matters Are Relative
Depending
On Souls Who Travel🙏
While We May Be Free
Others May
Be Bullied
In Real Hell
On Earth
Even
Unwittingly So🎼NoW
I’m sorry for your loss, Katie.
Thanks Cherie🙏
❤❤❤
😊
How about rewinding cassettes by using a pencil…
It reminds me of this poem that I wrote:
Things That Used To
I remember when penny candy was a penny
(There also used to be pennies)
Now sitting in drawers, hidden away
just waiting to be counted again
I remember when the sun wasn’t dangerous
(or not as dangerous)
We stayed outside all day until
we were beckoned home by the dusk
I remember when children used to play
outside, without fear, without concern
Would they now? If we let them?
I remember when I had to be home
for someone to reach me
Now I am always within grasp
And even though I turn it off, it angers me
That I feel uncomfortable
And when I leave it at home
I feel naked
There was a time when people would talk
using their mouths and eyes
Not letters, or symbols
And looked at the people they were with
I remember when television had two choices:
on or off
More often than not, we were outside all day playing
Until we were beckoned home by the dusk
Beautiful, Leon! Just beautiful! And yes, I definitely remember the cassette tape and using the pencil to remind it!
Thanks!
Fond memories all, except for me growing up, Friday nights was ABC night. We had “The Brady Bunch,” “The Partridge Family,” “The Odd Couple” and “Love American Style.” On the other hand, I served in the marines from 1979-83 and we were all derelicts and druggies in the eyes of America. In some cases, we were seen as welfare cheats. I was once told that I only went into the service because I was too lazy to try to get a ‘real’ job. Except for that, you bring back some very good memories!
All those old shows are great! And wow! Serving your country isn’t a real job? It sounds like ignorance on the part of the people criticizing you. I think your service in the Marines reflected back to them their own insecurities. My response would’ve been, “Don’t dump on the fact that I served just because you never got off your scared ass and signed up.” But that’s just me.
I think that’s the way America views its peacetime military. Except back then, the worst crap I got was off rednecks, you know, the ones who these days proudly wear “Support Our Troops” on their bumper stickers and t-shirts. They didn’t support us back then. Like I said, we were perceived as druggies. One person even said, “You are in the marines, you’ve must have done some good drugs.” Really?
Not all of America. Those ppl you dealt with were the ignorant Americans. There are many people like me who salute you and all our troops and veterans. Thank you for your service, and I mean it from the bottom of my heart. ❤
Thank you. If more people had thanked me for my service when I did serve and the years right after, I wouldn’t have been so bitter for nearly 30 years and sought solace in Britain.
This.
Thank you, Greg. 😊
Great read and something us ‘oldies’ do tend to reflect on in a world gone mad
Thank you so much! 😊 And you’re so right about that!