Growing up in the 50's and 60's:

In the summer, you left the house after breakfast. You popped in for a quick lunch, and back again for dinner. Play until dark, then take a bath, eat a snack and watch t.v. until bedtime. Outside all of the time, every day. You played all over the neighborhood without adult supervision. You went to the movies on the weekend in town or went swimming and you rode the city bus when you did go to town. Everyone got a summer tan or stayed in the shade. If you were lucky, once you got to high school you borrowed Dad's car to go to a ballgame or a date (and a lot of the times you took your date to the game because it was free to students... you saved your money to buy both of you a snack after the game). No computers... kids used their imagination. No cell phones... one land line in the house, so you had to talk in front of your family. Only five t.v. stations... ABC, CBS, NBC, one independent channel and one PBS channel (after I got to high school). A party after high school was maybe 10 - 15 people... no crashers, no loud music. People actually sat around and talked! We respected our parents, teachers and adults in general. We were not brought up to think that we were special and the center of the universe. Respect for authority has all but disappeared in this country.

Yes, it was a simpler time - if you didn't think about the Cold War, or Viet Nam, or civil rights riots and protests. But we were happier... the suicide rate was almost non-existant.

Now? Kids grow up with adults controlling every activity for them. They stare at their computers and phones, and have trouble interacting with other people. Kids stay in the house so they won't be snatched... and eat too much, exercise too little and get hardly any sun. Sadly, a whole lot of obese, shy and pale children are what our future is becoming.

Do I long for the past? Sure. Can I do anything about it? I try... on an individual basis every day, but I think I'm losing the war.

And so it goes...

~

Happily, we're not getting any snow until Sunday morning. 50 degrees... how gloriously weird for this time of year!

And now my cold is back to a single sinus cavity, where it all started.

The human body remains a mystery to moi.

(shrugs)

My sinuses are a bit blocked, but otherwise feeling good. I even worked out today!

To quote Chicago: "Feelin' Stronger Every Day"

Slept well last night. A little sniffle and occasional weak cough today. Improving!

The nose is now fine, but I have a scratchy throat and occasionally a little cough. Oddest damn cold I've ever had... thank God it's a weak one!

I have had one side of my sinus blocked for the last two days. It runs, but can't be discharged. Finally better now. A very strange feeling. One's body has so many things to do to distract me.

???

I'm now officially old now. Explaining a little history shouldn't lead you to be mocked as "quaint". Quaint is another word for OLD!

If you don't want to learn any history, don't take my class!

"What a queer fellow! He seems awfully gay."

Long ago, those statements would have meant that he was odd in showing how happy he was.

Today, it would mean that the homosexual was flaunting his sexuality.

Times change, as do words or things' meanings. My late father told me that when he was growing up, the middle finger meant to stick it up your ass, not fuck you. Putting your hand out in front of your face with the thumb touching your nose and wiggling your fingers meant fuck you back then.

Another: We give the "V" sign to mean peace now... it used to mean victory. Turn that "V" around in England and it means fuck you.

I'll leave you by saying "Have a Nice Day"... unless that has changed now as well?

... New Year!!!