Posted by
Sue on Saturday, February 24, 2007 6:54:06 PM
02/24/07
I was thinking about things in the past this morning. Remember? When we could let our kids play outside the house with having to personally be out there with them? When they could board the bus themselves and go to the beach (if you had one near) and spend the
day in the sun and surf. When there were respect (alright, fear) of teachers and the principal. When you would pay 70 cents for a gallon of gasoline (boy, am I dating myself).
When you could actually kill pests with the sprays you bought in the store? When not everyone (as the media says) was "fat". When no one knew much are homosexuals (I had to be in my late twenties before I even heard the term) or "alternative" lifestyles. When, if a girl got pregnant, she married the guy (for good or ill). When divorce meant you had to go to court, sit in the witness chair and "swear" you were beaten or whatever to get one.
How about tennis shoes...there was only "tennis shoes" and pretty much the only jeans there were were Levi's and they cost $7.00. How about what you could buy for 49 cents: one pound of coffee, one pound of ground round (the only kind available), a loaf of bread...a gallon of milk was either a little bit more or a little bit less.
So, nostalgia for those times...NO! Who knows how many children were abused by friends, neighbors or family members. Cars needed gas every 8-12 miles. And although food was less, wages were less. So, no nostalgia for me. Fondness for some things of that time...cleaner air, less traffic, better schools. Although, in 1968 less than 60ish of the high school students graduated. By the way that was the highest before and after that time.
One important thing I don't remember at all, even with the women's movement was hate.
I don't remember anyone I went to school with, people I worked with, friends or neighbors exhibiting hatred for anyone or anything. It wasn't part of our makeup. There was no political correctness, no multiculturism, people didn't use filthy language or behave like the Hollywood crowd....at least not in public. And the movies were devoid of anything you could consider sexual. Wow! Of course, there was no "chainsaw massacre movies either. We had the Blob...Magnificent Seven. Well, I hope you get the picture. It was a different America. Not the best, but not the absolute worst. I'm not sure what I would say about today, except it certainly a different America...more hate spewing, more censoring of free speech if you're a conservative, and, certainly a increase in those tinfoil hatted leftist loons. What a world. I wonder how it will be in another 25 years?