It may be hard to remember, but life wasn’t always this intense. Back in the “good old days,” it seemed like a simpler time.
In the ‘50s and ‘60s, you could drive to the gas station, pull up in front of one of the pumps and three employees wearing brown mechanic uniforms would rush out to your car. One would pump your gas, one would pop open your hood and check your oil and the third would clean all the windows in the front, side and back. Whichever one finished first would then check the inflation in your tires while another would take your money and run inside to fetch your change if needed. No tip was expected.
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You didn’t have to buy milk at the grocery store. The milkman would drive to your house every few days and deliver it. If you were sick, you didn’t have to wait for hours in an emergency room waiting area. Your parents would call the doctor, and he would actually come to your house carrying his medical bag. You used one of those metal can openers with the sharp triangular head to bend down a crease in the top of a soda can. The back end of this gadget could be used to pop the cap off a bottle.
All TV shows were in black and white, and you had just two or three channels to watch. You didn’t have to worry about the kids hearing profanity or seeing graphic sex or violence. You listened to music by playing vinyl records on a player with two speeds — 33 revolutions per minute for albums and 45 rpm for singles. The neighborhood paperboy brought your newspaper every day. Going out to eat was a treat reserved for one day a week, usually Friday or Saturday night. Families sat at the dinner table together and talked about their day.
Faster pace of life
The pace of life is so much faster now. The internet, smartphones and social media have changed everything. Information is available instantly. It has conditioned us to want more of everything and want it faster. So we pack our lives with dizzying schedules that often leave little room for spiritual activities and reflection. This usually does not end well.
What’s the answer?
So slow down. Take time to pray and to listen for a reply. You just may find the good old days are taking place now.
EDITOR’S NOTE — Ken Lass is a retired Birmingham television news and sports anchor and an award-winning columnist for numerous publications and websites.
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