The good old days

You could purchase an R.C. cola and a moon pie for 10 cents during the good old days. It was also worth your time to bend your knees and pick up a loose penny. Back then, a penny was all it took for treats such as Mary Janes, silver tips, squirrel nuts and suckers. My daddy loved a Snickers candy bar which he often referred to as “a laugh out loud” instead of a Snicker. He had a wonderful sense of humor. The only way we stayed halfway cool was from a hand-held paper fan from our local funeral home. The fan worked efficiently if you applied a steady supply of elbow grease to the handle. My rump still feels cold from sitting on top of the ice-cold burlap bag as daddy churned the ice cream by hand. Sometimes we sat on front porches, waved at our neighbors and ate boiled peanuts and sliced watermelons while we listened to the grand ole opera on our radio on Saturday night.

Back in the day, people lived by the ten commandments, went to church regularly and had high morals and conduct. We only wore shoes during the winter months, and it never got too hot to pick cotton or work in the corn fields. We were hard and tough. Children roamed the countryside freely looking for wild plums and sweet grapes. There was little crime in those days. We elected political candidates that reflected our way of thinking and living, instead of hurting us to gain their own political views and popularity in Washington. We grew our own vegetables and meat. Our family was animal lovers, so we couldn’t kill a chicken or a pig. We had a name for all our pets. Our favorite was a pig we named Miss Polly Porker, who thought she was a dog and loved being stroked under her belly. She also loved to play in a rainstorm with my younger sisters. So, were the good old days really that good? It’s all about who you ask.