Remember when …..?
You could walk to school with friends and no parents even if it was a mile door to door…
You were able to play all day outside and would only come home for meals and when the street lights were illuminated…
You could be unsupervised on at a playground while jumping off of swings or playing dodge ball…
You could trick or treat at Halloween with only the kids in the neighborhood and sneak candy on the way home…
You knew the people on your street and several streets over. And, they knew you…
Doors on homes, cars and schools were left unlocked during the day and at time, even at night…
Schools were safe. Malls were safe. Sporting events were safe. And they were all fun and carefree…
If you were scared or worried about “evil” it was because you watched a scary Hitchcock movie or saw the Wizard of OZ and became terrified at the flying monkeys...???
Remember when…
You didn’t mark time by the numerous acts of terrorism or natural disasters since the 1980’s…
Recalling with others .. “This was the year of … Oklahoma City bombing, 9/11, Sandy Hook massacre, Hurricane Andrew, Katrina or Sandy….”
And, now we mark time by saying…
Remember when before the 2013 Boston Marathon you could run a race and the only “explosion” heard was the thunderous clapping of people as you crossed the finishing line…???
I hope the current generation and future generations of children will embrace the good in this world and won’t mark their lives by a series of tragic “REMEMBER WHEN’S?”…
So very sad. So very true. Sigh!
Agreed.
Well said. I remember…
Thank you for writing this, Louise. Yes, I remember all of that… fondly too. But now is now. There are unique joys and possibilities in the NOW that weren’t even dreamed of THEN. (Hey, I’m wired for optimism.) Besides, we have no control over someone else’s random acts of craziness. We can only choose our response to this moment and the next and the next. Also, we must teach our children that love and kindness, compassion and respect are values we live by because that is the only way we can give meaning to our lives.