Now and Then

Reading the comments from the editor of "Our State" magazine in which she mentioned that to her mothers moon pie and a RC or Dr. Pepper was a real treat brought back memories from my childhood.

The kids of today seem to have a disrespectful attitude and an unlimited amount of cash for their petty everyday wants and enjoy a lifestyle that few way back when could even dare to dream about-and I seriously doubt they are any happier with their life than we were back then. Maybe less so, to tell the truth.

I didn't grow up poor, my any means, but we were not rich either. Just average I guess one could say. My dad worked and Mom was a house wife-or stay-at-home mom as one would say now as though that somehow changes a person's dignity for the better.
During the summer and fall somethings we would gather out in the nusery on a vacant lot for a game of baseball but most often we wrapped a sock around a rock and cover that with black tape and played sock ball in the backyard.

For supper, we drank tea, lemonade, or kool aid. No soda was ever served at our house and that was true for many of the homes back then. About the only time I had a soft drink was on Saturday after playing a tough game of baseball and dad would take us to the store and we could get a snack and a soda. I usually got me a Lott-a-cola, the only pop in a 16 oz bottle back then.

My first real job back then was at a grocery store. Sometimes my dad would tell me stories of when he was my age. He worked for some local farmers in the cotton fields and he said he made $1.00 a day plus a meal. I thought how lucky was I. I wasn't fed but I was making 75 cents an hour. I couldn't imagine working for just a dollar.

I've seen a bumper sticker that said "I have more stuff-I win."

Judging how much life has changed just in my lifetime I would have to say maybe to that one--but probably not."