I don't want to fall into the trap of thinking life used to be better when I was younger. The days of our youth, for many, are a time of carefree growing and learning. We were not weighed down by the burden and responsibilities of adulthood. Somebody else is doing the heavy lifting and providing the food for the table. I will not confuse my early life in the 1970's and 80's as a better time to live based upon my lack of responsibility. I have heard from others how the world was once a better place to live in "back in the day" when they grew up whether it be in the 40's, 50's, or 60's.
We live in a time of great change and advancement in many ways. Technology and innovation has change the world exponentially in my lifetime. We have opportunities to earn more money and have improved lives in many ways. But maybe the sacrifices we have made to grab the gusto and seek after more money and success are having a negative affect on our lives together. Our responsibility to one another as a community seem to be strained to the breaking point. Our desire to be kind to one another may be at an all time low.
The problems and struggles we have are not new. There is nothing new under the sun. We have always had selfishness, jealousy and hatred in the human race. Your experience is new everyday. What we see and encounter on a daily basis is nothing that has not been lived countless times by others. We are not as unique as we think we are. Problems with violence in inner cities is historically the norm. They did not recently invent alcohol and drugs. Business men and bankers didn't change overnight. There have always been liars and scammers. People taking advantage of others is not a new turn of events. Politics has always attracted the power hungry and self-gratifying crowd, people who know better how you should live, ignoring you and others along the way.
Mankind is bent on war and making the weak subservient to their will. Maybe some of this is done in a civilized manner but the struggle for control over others never stops. It happens between nations, between businesses and between neighbors. The struggle for control is at every level of your life. We have turned into a society seeking dominance and preeminence. We want success and the accolades that go with it. Being successful and rich are at the top of the list goals of most college students surveyed nowadays.
I have lived in the same city for my entire life beside a quick stint in the US Navy. But I never stopped calling my hometown my home. It is easy to complain that things have gotten worse in the last 40 years. They have in many ways but that is not my focus in life. Complaining and stating the obvious is not productive. Changes are not peculiar to my town, they are common. Standard problems of our country from coast to coast. There is an underlying dissatisfaction and distrust that pervades the town I live in. Maybe it is the same everywhere. I can speak only on my experience. Our innocence has long ago been shattered. Our expectations have been delayed for so long hopelessness sets in. We lose faith in the leaders and in each other. We are more isolated and divided. Our sense of community has been destroyed.
I understand the desire for simpler days of the past. In a town where you felt more safe and opportunity knocked at the door. Where at least you felt like you could trust your neighbors. People were more likely to be involved in the community and do positive things for each other. Even if it were to treat each other with respect and smile and wave.
Friday night fish fry at the VFW was a special event in my childhood during the 1970's. I remember going to the fish fry with our neighbors. The VFW was half barroom and half banquet hall. The walls were covered in brown wall panelling with a nicotine stained drop ceiling. Our fathers were all blue collar factory working guys who liked to have a few beers on Friday. The fish fry was a cheap night out. The club had cheap drinks and the kitchen was full of volunteer members to cook the food. Places like these were great for socializing and community involvement. Veterans organizations and other fraternal organizations were once a huge part of life in this country. Bringing together like minded people to to enjoy life.
I lived for the moments when my brother and I and our friends could get a coke, a bag of BBQ chips and a few quarters to put in the juke box and play Shuffle bowling. It was a magical Friday night. A shuffle bowling machine was a long table with metal spring-loaded sensors that when pushed down by a metal puck caused the plastic pins to fold up. The puck was a heavy shuffle board puck. As we played the machine kept score for each player. Numbers rolled over and around, no digital score keeping yet. The game would end when the food was ready. Fried fish or a deep-fried shrimp dinner and fries, my all time favorite as a little round guy. Oh what a night.
The simple pleasures in life seem to be the things that come back to mind. Fun times with friends, kind neighbors and good food. Things that built your community and made you feel good. Not that there weren't negative people or bad things that happened, however there was enough good to tip the scales in a positive direction. Now the negative reports weigh us down. The struggle is real. I find myself longing for the approach to living more people had back in the day.
As times changed, people changed. Mom's had to work and houses in new subdivisions became the rage. Small businesses were abandoned for mall shopping and businesses outsourced jobs. As jobs left, those with the knowledge to train another generation passed away. Things would never be the same. Friday night shuffle bowling wouldn't be a thing anymore. Unfortunately life goes on with a new survivor mentality for most. We couldn't trust anyone any longer so we closed our blinds and put up privacy fences.
Sure there are some willing to invest in their community and build good will between people but it seems to be a minority in number compared to days gone by. With every negative news story and rumor of how bad the world really is, people withdraw more and more. Hopelessness and frustrations mount. Many in my state have moved away. Thousands every year flee to places with more promise. It is a mental battle to stay positive in a dark time we live in. Yes I consider this a dark time in our country. I am not down or distressed, surviving is not optional. Moving forward is the only option. Determined and resolved to be happy, healthy and not bitter. Looking for the good in others and not collapsing from fear and the unknown. I still hope that our tomorrows will be brighter and negativity and hopelessness will fade.