The good old days

BY LARRY WHITELEY

One of my grandsons in Wisconsin called me the other day. He was writing a paper for a class about what life was like for their grandpa growing up, compared to today. I told him he would probably laugh about some things and may not believe others.

I told him that first of all, sometimes I feel like this world we are living in has gone crazy. I come from a time when people looked out for one another and didn’t depend on the government as much. It was a time when respect was given freely and earned honestly.

Everything is changing in today’s world. They call it progress; I told him. Back then, most couples fell in love to stay and stood by each other come what may.

There were very few divorces back then. They were there for each other. Most families bowed their heads to pray around the dinner table at home. Sunday morning was reserved for church.

A promise back then was something people kept, not just something they would say. The line between right and wrong didn't seem as hazy as it is today. Kindness was important back then. The world didn’t change because kindness stopped mattering. It changed because too many people stopped practicing it. Kindness though is still one of the greatest strengths a person can have. I reminded him to be kind.

Back then we held the door open for someone. We said please and thank you. We kept our word. We showed respect. We helped someone without expecting anything in return. Back then, character was worth more than popularity.

As kids, we recited the Pledge of Allegiance in school, we honored our flag, we loved our country. We honored our Veterans. Memorial Day was spent decorating graves of those who fought for our country and for family members. Now, most people don’t do that. They go to the lake instead. Sadly, many have also taken Christ out of Christmas and Jesus out of Easter.

Children entertained themselves. Kids’ sports were not a fierce competition. You earned a trophy. You didn’t get one for just participating. We camped out under the stars. We dug worms and went off fishing with our buddies.  We hunted and trapped rabbits and squirrels, and we gigged frogs. They helped feed our family.

Spam was food in a can, not on your smartphone.  You wrote personal notes rather than texting them. You only checked for mail once a day and not on holidays.

Respect was given freely and earned honestly. It was a time when a handshake meant commitment and your good name meant something.

I will tell you as I told him, that not everything about the past was better. But I do believe things like respect, honesty, compassion, gratitude and good manners should never be lost in our world.

Trends fade; technology will continue to evolve. The world keeps moving faster every day. But no invention, no technology, will ever replace a good heart and soul. And, no amount of success will ever be more valuable than being a good human being.

I pray he learned from all I said. I told him I loved him and hoped he and future generations would learn from how we grew up in the good old days.

Something to think about

“Some of us grew up in the good old days before computers and smartphones. I would not trade that time for anything.”

-John Little

A native of the Missouri Ozarks, Larry Whiteley has been communicating the great outdoors across America for over 40 years through newspapers, magazines, books, blogs, and a nationally syndicated radio show. To read more of his award-winning stories, go to www.storiesbylarry.com. Email him at larrywhiteley2@gmail.com.