You have all heard about "the good old days". Well, they were. We never have had enough money to throw away (still don't, LOL). We traveled once every year or two to see family. The kids were small, and we didn't have money to eat at restaurants. So we'd just stop at a market or gas station and buy a loaf of bread, lunch meat, and maybe if we were lucky, a little cheese. No sodas, as we also carried a thermos of coffee and a jug of water.
Years later, we did go for car rides; just for fun. And once we went from San Fernando to Bakersfield, CA just riding (gas was 25 cents a gallon). We did stop to get a hamburger and shared a shake before going back home. Now that was a treat. Today people eat out so much it is a treat for them to eat a home cooked meal.
Yes, everyone is so busy making money these days, but where is it all going? Bills, payments, Ipods, fancy cell phones, etc. I know you're busy, but take a short ride to a park, beach, mountains, and walk if you can. Leave your electronics at home; all of them. Buy a loaf of bread, lunch meat, and cheese, but no mayo or dressing. Do not take sandwiches from home. No fuss.
Take a book to read. Sit on a rock, bench or the grass and just be quite for awhile, at least two hours. It will take some getting used to, all that peace, quiet and nature.
A Challenge; look for something to do that doesn't cost money.
That was the "good old days", even if we didn't know it.
By Vi Johnson from Moorpark, CA
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I agee 100% Vi. Too many young people of today wouldn't know what to do with themselves if you took all the electronics out of their lives. We had none of those things, and neither did our children.
Sadly, our grandchildren and great-grandies do, and they are the most miserable of all the generations I've seen yet. They're all very smart, but haven't the slightest idea of how to "do" things that don't have push-buttons or joy-sticks.
The worst possible thing that can happen to them today is the loss of electricity because they need it to charge their cell phones. Maybe one day, things will turn around and it'll all go back to the way it used to be. This house would manage just fine.
Thumbs Up. Pookarina
Wow! That picture really takes me back to my "good old days". There used to be a lot places around where a family or a group of people could find fun things to do, especially in the wild. Our family and extended family, had a place called "the slab", which looks just about like your picture except the slab was cement that a creek ran over. We made a day of it; playing in and out of the water, fishing for perch, and picnicking. I loved to sit and listen to the stories my elders told about their good old days.
Problem is that those "good old spots" are gone for the most part, taken over by expansion in one form or other. I think it might be a good idea to make a game out of finding new places to explore. The whole family could join in and perhaps take advantage of modern conveniences like computers, etc. It would certainly be good for younger generations to learn about the history of their ancestors and, most importantly, the history of the land around them.
Just a thought. Thanks for posting.
Refreshing! My fondest memory was playing house with the large cardboard boxes from the packing of large household appliances and dumpster diving at the city dump. I know that sounds gross but we were dirt poor.
In those days anyone could go digging at the dump. Warehouses would remove labels from canned goods before trashing but my Mother could usually figure out what was in a particular can by the number on the end. The number may indicate beans and she may not know what kinds of beans but she knew beans.
Another fond memory was catching pigeons in the snow. We built a box with a stick that supports it with a string attached, put crumbs leading to the box and when the bird entered the box we'd droop the stick catching the bird. Then we'd let it loose and go again.
We were poor but there was never a dull moment in my childhood. We made our own fun. Yes, kids now days don't know what good fun is in my opinion.
This is such a great post. The sweetest pleasures are always the simplest. There is nothing better than the adventure you can have down the road on a single afternoon.
Some of my best childhood memories are just swinging on a huge knotted rope from a hill, or sliding down that hill on some card board. My cousins and I would make sandwiches, go to our secret spot and have a grand day.
As we live in the country and my child is an only, I often take him to a city park so he can play with other kids, but the problem is there are too often no other people in the parks. Kids are too busy playing with ds's, i-pads, video games, computers, tv, etc. to go get fresh air and play. That is why they are getting fatter-that and fast food.
I do like your ideas though. Hope it will catch on again.
I'm with you, GG Vi! I'm still under 50 (by a few months, anyway,) but I remember spending summer days playing in the "crick" (creek, for you Yankees) between our house and grade school. Now the only thing I'd need electricity for, mostly, would be my computer (for keeping in touch with family and friends,) and my Talking Book machines. I don't even watch much TV, other than news and Jeopardy...
A Note of thanks......to everyone. It did my heart good to know that there are some of us left that can teach the great grands (I think it is to late for the grands, at least ours) how wonderful the world can be without all the commercials on TV to cloud up the picture. It is my great joy to teach the children that come through the Path Garden about flowers and plants. I'm posting a picture of a rose from two of them,along with a note they wrote. Their names are Skylar and Doug. God Bless the little children. GG Vi
One of the best posts ever. It brought back memories because that is exactly the way my parents did things, mainly because they had to.
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