Everyone Is Entitled To My Opinion- On Time and Lifestyle

Dear Friends,

      “It’s too hot!” “It’s too cold!” “It’s raining!” “It is snowing!” How many times have we heard these statements better yet how often have we spoken them? How about; “I’m too tired.” “I hurt too much.” Try “Another day of work.” “I hate the drive traffic is always crowded and watch out if there’s construction, accident or a vehicle breakdown blocking a lane.” Or “I never have time for breakfast.” Does any of this sound familiar?

      When did we become so cranky? I remember many hot summer days, temperatures in the nineties, no wind, no clouds yet we still went about our daily business. Kenny the Constable made his rounds, the milkman delivered, coal trucks made deliveries, so did the iceman, fathers went to work, and mothers made breakfast and went about their daily chores. At the end of the day dinner; meatloaf, chicken, hot dogs and baked beans, fish sticks and home cooked French fries were the meals ready and the family ate together in the kitchen, oh and if you were thirsty with dinner there was always a pitcher of cold water in the refrigerator. Pop would say “Sure was a hot one out there today” then “How was your day?” the question that everyone answered. One at a time we kids would talk about some highlight of our day, mom would talk about food shopping or the ladies mid day tea. After dinner Pop would settle in with the newspaper, mom would clean up the dishes, and kids would go out to play; the boys played step ball, the girl’s jacks or jump rope. As the shadows grew longer parents would sit out on the porch until it was time for us to come in and bathe. As the sun went down the house began to cool off in time for sleeping, windows open allowing the “evening breeze in”, and if you were lucky you might have one fan in your house that assured that breeze. No one had air conditioning. The local movie theater boasted being air conditioned on the marquee right next to the movie title. If your parents went to a movie they walked downtown and you stayed home with a babysitter. Oh the “good ol’ days” we weren’t poor, we were happy with what we had and content taking only what we needed.

      Today we have air conditioning in every home, big screen TV’s  with hundreds of channels, AM FM Radio, Blue Tooth music, even a device that will turn the lights on and off, answer the door, adjust the temperature on your air conditioner or heater all you need do is ask it to. Dinner is seldom on the table for everyone to sit and share your day while eating, instead dinner is whatever each family member chooses; one might pop their choice into the microwave, another may grab a slice of pizza or a fast food burger and fries, no one drinks water any more, soda or a thing called Slurpy has now replaced that beverage. Mom and Dad, they eat dinner, a frozen treat called a TV dinner that is heated up in the oven in its own foil tray on TV tables while watching the evening news.

       I remember those days even as now I find the heat a bit more oppressive, the daily chores take a little longer, the family (children) has grown and moved out to live their own lives. Now my wife and I have dinner together in the breakfast room as we watch the news. Yes getting up is a bit slower and going to bed comes earlier, but I prefer to look at each day that God gives me upon this earth as proof that I am special, God has given me a gift of another day to do something good, something special, I call it a gift, the present. I choose to   unwrap it with the love it comes with and spread it around.