The Lie That is The Good Old Days.
I recently passed an important milestone — I’m closer to 50 than I am 40. This, coupled with a son a year away from high school graduation, and I’ve found myself reflecting on my life so far — specifically my youth.
I’ve always been a bit sentimental and I enjoy what I remember as simpler times. With more and more Facebook posts dedicated to days gone by it’s even easier to trigger those memories.
Are there things I miss? Sure. $1 movies at the Avalon, glass soda bottles, and my waist being right up there.
As I thought about it more and more I started to wonder what it was that I missed. I had some thoughts, but as I scrolled through Facebook the other day my suspicions were confirmed. It definitely wasn’t the things because stuff back then kinda sucked.
A quick look through your feed and you’re sure to come across similar pages or posts. Photos of unusual contraptions and things we used to do are suddenly alive in front of us. There’s an immediate sense of longing and accomplishment. It reminds us of what was and how hard it was “back then.”
Any of these sound familiar?
“Like if you know what this is . . . Do you remember riding in the front seat with NO seat belt?! Like if you never used one of these while riding your bike . . .Share if you actually walked to school with your books wrapped in paper bags. . .Kids these days, they don’t know how easy they have it. . .”
I exaggerate. But just a little.
I remember many things from “my day” and a lot of them were sh*t.
Allow me to elaborate.
I sat in the front seat. I also got whacked in the face from my mom’s arm, err seat belt. Good times that. . .
I also remember eight track tapes, albums (which always scratched), and rotary phones. You remember those. The kind with the cord that never quite reached the basement stairs so you could close the door for a bit of privacy from your parents.
I also seem to recall crashing my bike enough times that a helmet wouldn’t have been the worst idea. My school books weighed a ton. And Atari or Coleco compared to today? C’mon.
Sure it’s fun to think back on how much fun Space Invaders and Pitfall were, but not because they were any good, it’s because we sat as a group of friends and played. So please don’t suggest you’d rather play Atari or Head-to-Head football over what we have today — it’s ridiculous and I don’t believe you.
I also have absolutely no sense of longing for our little black and white TV. The kind that got four channels, had antenna ears, and two turn knobs.
My point is this. Let’s stop pretending rotary phones, a lack of sunscreen, and an absence of seat belts (along with “new coke) were good things. They weren’t.
The good old days weren’t when we could spank our kids (was that really a good thing?) or those damn metal slides that were so hot you burned your a** off going down them.
It’s even easier to remember now. A quick search and you can buy almost any memento from your past. Take a look and you’re likely to find a throwback something. Recapturing the good old days is apparently popular and profitable.
Here’s the thing. The good old days were not coming home until the street lights came on, playing ding-dong ditch, and pick up baseball. It was exploring neighborhoods on two wheels with a freedom I miss even today.
Don’t be confused. That’s the lie of the good old days. Mixing up the things and the memories. I think it’s important to remember that the things are just facilitators.
Nobody in their right mind misses the Walkman. It was crap. We don’t miss tapes either.
What we miss is making mixes of Journey, Styx, and Air Supply for our crush (OK ONE song from Air Supply).
What we miss is that feeling of getting a mixed tape, sliding it into our Walkman, hitting play, and strutting down the street.
That was pure magic.
It’s our youth and the memories these things elicit that makes us smile.
So in a nod to the good old days here’s my wish for you. Find time to bask in some memories. Grab your favorite device, turn your music up, and enjoy the trip down memory lane. It’s guaranteed to sound even better, making the memories all the sweeter.
