The Good Old Days…?

‘They just don't make them how they used to’... ‘Back in my day’... ‘The good old days’...

Timeless expressions, words, idioms that help describe how the quality of material things and life experiences used to be and how it has may have sadly diminished over time. My mother recently remodeled a kitchen and part of a bathroom in her home that was constructed centuries ago. While shopping for the replacement items (cabinets, sinks, refrigerator, etc.), she was disappointed at the low quality and craftsmanship of the new cabinets and bathroom sink. It sure won't last the near decade the old items lasted, but it sure looks much better! Walking down the street this morning, I couldn't help but notice a car that seems to have recently been in an accident. The bumper was torn up! But that may be due to the fact that it was probably made out of plastic!! Cars do not nearly resemble the Cadillacs that used to turn heads some years ago.

Over time, men and women have changed as well. It seems like we are not made up from the same, strong fabric we used to be made from. Subsequently, our relationships are negatively affected and sure do not last as long as they used to. For instance, my mother still keeps in touch with her High School friends. I, on the hand, graduated High School less than 10 years ago and even though we are in a booming technology age and everyone has a facebook/myspace accounts, I have lost tough with my closest "friends." I know a man that was married for 50 years to his High School sweetheart!! He and his deceased wife really took "til death do us part" literally, as it was only due to her unfortunate passing that they are no longer together. Now-a-days, people say if a marriage lasts more than the first two years, they are on the right track. Are we for real?! Why have times changed so much?

In life, many trends recur. The Circle of Life brought back vintage clothing such as bell bottoms, platform shoes and puffy hair, which will inevitably be fashionable at least one more time in my lifetime. Could the Circle of Life bring back a time where human interaction and deep, heartfelt relationships were meaningful and everlasting? Could the quality of our marriages be built on solid ground and or with materials that last centuries, like my mother's ancient sixty pound porcelain sink? Have we evolved so much, that blatant cheating, lies, divorce and fleeting affairs are here to stay? Have we lost the original definitely of true, genuine love? Will we ever be, like the singer Chrisette Michele eloquently expresses in her song “Golden” (below), ready for a time when commitment was golden?

"Golden" by Chrisette Michele


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=24uhpIPsKnY