To Each His Own

[HARDCORE]

10-14-2017

“They Say That Everyone Has Their Own Bag, And The Internet Is Certainly A Splendid Place To Let It All Hang Out!”

Thinking back however, to those not so distant days of yore - when life was just a little bit slower, I often wonder if we are really better off today, even with all of our new electronic toys and gadgets? Hell, people have all but forgotten how to communicate and how to interact, or what a joy it was just to take a ride out into the backcountry, or to travel with the whole family to splurge upon a five cent ice cream cone, or even a quarter double feature at the neighborhood movie house?

Nowadays, if a night out don’t set you back at-least a c-note, and if your sneakers didn’t cost you a full day’s wages (or better), then you just may be considered to be destitute!

And if you don’t go along with the prevailing political winds, or you have the audacity to buck the tide or march to a different drummer, then you might even find yourself ostracized, jailed, or at the very least- persona non grata, and the object of collective excommunication and systemic ridicule!

Thinking for yourself is now discouraged, contrary views are often considered criminal, and God forbid that you should ever make up your own mind or come to the conclusion that (in any given election), no matter who you vote for – “YOU’RE OFTEN SCREWED?”

“Ain’t Life in the Twenty-First Century Just Wonderful?”

Hardcore

[Boats]

Life was much easier though there weren't as many options as there are today. As a kid (8-10 years old) I played a lot of ball, ice skated, bowling, and rode my bike. I worked for a farmer pulling weeds in his field in the summer. He gave us kids china hats to keep the sun off and met us at the end of the rows with cool water. He paid us 25 cents each per hour and took us to the Tasty Freeze for any ice cream or soda we wanted. Boy's and Girl's did this each summer to make extra money and it was believe it or not fun. We walked to school or rode our bikes had recess in the morning, lunch, and recess in the afternoon. And we always said the Pledge of Allegiance ever morning. We also had duck & cover drills and fire drills each day. Our family didn't go out much money was short. My sister's and I took turns cutting the grass. I had rabbit traps I built and set in the field. I built corn forts and climbed trees. My family wasn't rich (money wise) but we always had food (not this fast food crap kids eat today). I often times long for those days of my youth. My dogs & cats and even a hamster. We had birds and worm collections and we shot marbles.

Today kids are not movers and shakers like we were, Now with fast foods - electronics most are static and you can see many are over-weight. Cell phones? What was that? I recall our old heavy iron phone with no dial - it was called a "party line" you'd pick up the phone and an operator would answer - you gave her three numbers and she connected you. When dial phones came in - my sister's and I must have called "weather" 50 times just to hear someone talk to you.

Doctor's would make house call's give you shots and medicine. Try that today. I would watch the steam locomotives in the switch yard jugging back and forth. When the trains would go by we'd wait for the caboose and yell for chalk. The guy would toss us large chunks of different colored chalk and we color the streets and side walks with pictures. We would catch snakes and frogs - but spiders I hated really bad. Our dog would run in the fields and our cat would always come home and have her babies on the porch. My dad would take the cats to the steel mill and they would catch the rats and mice.

Nights back then were the best "no clouds" and it would be pitch dark and the stars were so bright you'd watched until you saw a falling star. TV was on at 6 AM and went off at 1 AM. Black & white small screens and my sisters and I would watched Shock Theater on Saturdays nights with Marvin and the Dead Beats.

Its amazing what you think about being 71 today and the fun we had in our youth. We weren't rich in fact my cloths had more patches on them and I got the nick name "rags" because of my cloths. I wasn't the only one back then nobody was really rich and everbody was driving 30-40's and 50's cars.

We lived pretty close to the outdoor drive in theater on Halsted Street. We would walk down there and sit along the side areas and watch movies but the skeeter's would eat you alive most often.

These are what I recall and more if I think a little harder. Life was good. My Uncle Chuck had a dairy farm in Leroy, MI we used to go there for a visit every two years. They are all gone now and those days still live in my mind and always will.

Gotta run - wifes yelling at me to eat something.

Boats