Recall good old days

You’ve always heard the phrase “good old days.” Well, to a great extent they were just that. I was fortunate to grow up in the ’50s. Things were so different then, we had a life. And words were definitive, not morphed into something else.

For one thing, boys were boys and girls were girls; there was no “confusion” about what we were. The word “sex” identified what you were, not “gender.” Sex is binary; you’re either male or female. Boys liked girls and vice versa. Just thinking you were an alpaca didn’t make you one.

Imagination was in our minds, not in handheld devices. We played outdoors, even in summer. We knew how to have fun. We even played “cowboys and Indians” and no one was offended.

We recognized how to relate to others. “Yes, sir” and “no, sir” or “yes, ma’am” and “no, ma’am” were common, not aberrations. Profanity was seldom heard and if so, it just indicated a lack of vocabulary.

In school, we had to memorize the preamble to the Constitution. There are many students today who can’t even spell Constitution, let alone know what it stands for. Today, more emphasis seems to be on shaping the minds of children rather than developing them.

We had families, a father and mother that lived in the home together with us. Going to church on Sunday was just as certain as the fried chicken that followed services.

Race generally had something to do with speed. Who among us were able to select the color of our skin? Then why is anyone expected to apologize for it? Can a leopard change its spots?

Looting meant stealing and was treated accordingly, with prison sentences. Police officers and laws were held in respect.

It was a great time to live. LES BLEDSOE North Little Rock