The Good Old Days

I watched part of 'The Music Man' on TV this morning, and it made me miss the way we used to do things. I miss sitting on the front porch, talking with family and friends. I miss casual walks through town, without worrying if somebody was going to mess with you. I miss the slow pace of things. Everything is such a rush now. I miss the interaction with neighbors, and people you meet on the streets. Noboby wants to talk anymore. I think people are scared, or just withdrawn from society. People don't trust like they used to. My grandpa used to sleep with his door unlocked, and wide open, at night. You'd be hard-pressed to find ANYBODY that does that now. It's just sad how things have changed in just my lifetime. If it's not locked up or nailed down, then it's fair game.

I hate the fact that the world seems smaller now, too. With the internet, sattelite and cable TV, cell phones, etc., there's no mystery left. When I was younger, someplace on the other side of the world seemed so exotic, so faraway. Now, I can get on the internet, find a webcam in some foreign country, or on the top of some mountain, and I'm there. It's all at my fingertips. In 'The Music Man', the whole town turned out for the Wells Fargo Wagon when it came to town. They had to wait so long to receive things when they ordered them, from a catolog, it was like Christmas Day every time something arrived. Now, I order something from Hong Kong, on the internet, and it's here within the week. And if it's not, I'm upset. Rush, rush, rush. Now, now, now. It's a microwave world, and at times, I fit in like a wood burning stove. I just really, really miss the old days.