These Are My Good Old Days

Another summer re-run! 


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Actually? I don't believe in the so-called Good Old Days of the past.


(Gasp!)


Rather, I believe Carly Simon when she sings, "These are the Good Old Days."


And I believe Solomon when he wrote in Ecclesiastes, "Do not say, 'Why were the old days better than these?' For it is not wise or because of wisdom that you ask this."


As for me, I cannot speak of former days being better than these present ones, for that's a form of hopelessness: "The world used to be a better place, but now we're doomed to the bad stuff." And what I long for? I want my blog to be a place of hope, especially for anyone even toying with the thought of suicide. And I find no hope in reading Good Days Are Over.


I spent my childhood during the 1960's. Amazing years those were for me, packed with kid-friendly adventure, laughter, friends galore, picnics, playgrounds, pretending, family reunions, school, art, grandparents' visits, running free outside.


Yet while I was having my fun-packed 60's childhood, a U.S. president and senator were assassinated as was Martin Luther King, Jr.. There were race riots, the Cuban Missile Crisis, the war in Vietnam and college students were being shot by police. There was rampant drug addiction and picketing and leaded gas fumes everywhere.


So if you believe in the Good Old Days of the past, those were mine. The 1960's, one of the best decades of my life.


When were your Good Old Days? During the 1950's? That Good Old decade had the Korean War, devastating outbreaks of polio, the flagrant spraying of poisonous pesticides on food, the beginnings of the Cold War. There were McCarthy's shameful communism trials and hurricanes, floods and typhoons.


The 1940's is your favorite decade? There was the attack on Pearl Harbor. World War II. Death. Concentration camps. Food rationing.


The 1930's? The Great Depression. The Dust Bowl. Joblessness. Wandering families. Starvation. (Need I go on?)


Ok, so our days, these days of the 21st century are not even close to being perfect, all pie-in-the-sky. But when has life upon this Earth ever been a proverbial bed of roses? Travel back to the Garden of Eden, even, and people blew that opportunity, too. 


Always, people have sinned and made huge messes with rippling effects.


And so always I will believe that Life is what we, ourselves, make of it. No matter what is going on around me, on the inside, I can have Good Old Days and I can teach others how to have them, too. And these are my Good Old Days. Today is my Good Old Day. My former years were not better than these present ones because now God is, and He is good. He is good to me. He is good to you.


And God's goodness is as good as good gets.






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Need some proof that delightful things still can happen today? Go here. You'll LOVE this (it was performed after only 2 rehearsals!).




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From Anticipation by Carly Simon:


"And tomorrow we might not be together
I'm no prophet, I don't know Nature's way
So I'll try to see into your eyes right now
And stay right here, 'cause these are the good old days.
These are the good old days.
These are the good old days."