Was thinking today of some of the normal activities when I was a child. Eating out was for Sundays. Going shopping was on Thursday nights. Saturday was for mowing. Saturday was also the day for chores. Once chores were done then you could go have fun. Laundry could be just about any day when the weather was going to be conducive to drying the clothes on the line. Saturday was also beauty shop and barber shop day. Watching TV was confined to one room. That’s all we had, one. News was obtained by reading (every day). Saturday night was for studying your Sunday school lesson, unless you were a slacker like me. Sundays could have been called “SLOWDAYS” because life was slow for at least that one day of the week. Work days were confined to daylight hours. Evenings were spent at home. There were no malls and most businesses closed at 5, or progressive places stayed open until 6. Days were filled with work. Evenings were the reward for the hard days. Food didn’t have additives, unless Catsup is considered an additive. Didn’t know what steak sauce was. Who had steak? That was a luxury.
As a kid, you’d play outside. And that would be from can till can’t or daylight to very dark. Many nights in the summer I didn’t come back into the house until it was time to go to bed. And even then, only at the “urging” of my mom. The greatest invention was the bicycle. It was my life. I knew it intimately. I also knew every square inch of our yard and neighborhood. Dogs (and very few cats) were my friends. Most kids were inventors by necessity. No such thing as a playhouse kit back then. That consisted of the largest box we could find. Won a pup tent one time from a shoe store promotion and overnight I had more friends than I could count. And yes we slept out back when we could in that tent. And there were always those gourmet foods in the tent to occupy the night, like chocolate chip cookies. And I didn’t say Chips Ahoy. They were made from my mother’s sweet hand. There was a tin in the kitchen that ALWAYS had cookies in it. If it were empty it meant mom was sick. The only other time it was empty was when we came back home from vacation. But not for long.
My dad was always inventive with mid evening snacks. Ever had a peanut butter and mayonnaise sandwich? Or how about Mustard and Mayo sandwich? It was something different every night. I thought dill pickles were a staple item.
Sunday evenings were also an interesting food event. It was usually a lighter fare of snacks or leftovers. Many a Sunday night my meal consisted of cheese, dill and sweet pickles and Ritz crackers. And soft drinks were a little scarce, sort of like steak. Ever had dill pickles with a cold glass of milk? Yum. And all of this was done on TV trays watching Bonanza or Wonderful World of Color (Disney). But don’t forget Gunsmoke.
I think you are getting the idea. Life was simpler then. Things were slower. Time seemed to stand still at times. But that was a good thing. When time stands still miraculous things occur. People talk. Mom’s and Dad’s listened to their kids. Laughter was spontaneous and genuine. Programming on the round tube was always about the ideal family life. It made us long to excel. I think the best result became that most of us were inspired to be good parents some day. What we learned from TV was not perfect, but it had its roots in goodness and wholesome living. No such thing as reality TV. But TV was about true reality. By the standards and the era in which I was raised, I should be totally ashamed of some of the programs I allow in my home today.
Folks, I am reminded once again that America
Call me old fashioned. Call me an old man. Call me what you will. But please understand that when I groan about things now it is because I long for a life like what I just described. I guess I’m a product of my American values.
Guys, I know we can't relive our pasts. We can't bring it back. And some of my past, I will gladly let go. But how, by God's grace and intervention, can we as men of God call out this generation to morality and longing for God's goodness and mercy. If you have a take on this please jump in and share.
