I’m a member of my high school baseball team’s Facebook page, which means I get updates on everything … and I mean everything. Last week the page posted an announcement that the players trying out for the team would be given a letter to bring home to their parents explaining the try-out process – how the coaches were going to make selections and tell the kids.
I almost posted this: “Wow, when I was in school Coach Hodgins wrote down a list of last names of kids that made each cut and taped it to his office door.”
I didn’t post it because it sounded like one of those complaints of: “it was so much better back when”. I didn’t mean it this way. I really meant “wow”. I was impressed and thought it was a good idea keeping the parents updated on the process their kids were experiencing. If I didn’t make the varsity team when I was in high school, I would’ve been crushed. Looking at a list of names that did not include mine in a smelly locker room wasn’t going to make me feel much better. Everything would have suffered – grades, friendships, and my future. I would’ve needed my parents there every step of the way. I thought this idea of sending a letter to the parents was excellent.
Then I started pondering about all the talk and social posting about how much better it was “back then”. “When I was a kid, we knew our place and only spoke when spoken to. Kids today need to learn respect.” “Look at the greed of today and what the banks did to us, and now what’s happening to the oil companies. It’s all about the mighty dollar today.” And my favorite: “The world is an awful place today – I’m glad I’m not going to be around much longer.”
There are a few things at work here:
- Euphoric recall. We tend to remember how great most of the past was, and forget about the struggles.
- We seem to take ownership of the decades in which we were kids, and take pride in being raised then. I’m an 80’s kid, and I admit that I’m somewhat proud of it.
- We’re comfortable with the things of yesterday. Comfort is more satisfying than quality.
In general, yesterday was not better than today is. Below are some of my random thoughts about the matter…
- Kids today are not stupid. In fact, they seem to be brighter and more curious than we were. They’re different than their parents, but so were you and your friends.
- There are probably 500 people with who I directly communicate at least once a year that I never would’ve talked to or remembered without today’s technology.
- Our countries can easily kill more people today than ever, but we don’t. Only 1000 years ago (which is a blip in our existence), neighboring villages would use their archaic weapons to kill each other on a regular basis.
- Civil rights.
- Equal rights.
- A friend of mine recently had his hip replaced and was on the golf course that afternoon (not really, but you get my point).
- I can watch virtually anything on TV at any time. (Don’t get me started with the “there’s nothing on TV anymore” comment. Really, you mean like when our choices were Eight is Enough, Simon and Simon, or the NBC Movie of the Week? Oh yeah, that was a stimulating time.)
- Politicians have never been civil to each other. The only difference is that it’s on TV today. I love how involved everyone is in the political process. Regardless of how ignorant some people seem to be, at least they care.
I can go on and on and on, but I’ve got to get to work. Oh yeah, work. The recession we just experienced could’ve stopped the world, but it didn’t. Our global communication and economic controls enabled us to work together and get the economy back up and running within years rather than decades. Our recovery wasn’t done perfectly, but do a Google search for “the 1930s” and get back to me.
Anyway, I know its human nature to remember the good ole days – I do it all the time. However, I think it hinders us from seeing all the beauty of today. In general, I believe we’re living in the best time in history. Embrace it. After all, you don’t have many choices.
