The Good Old Days Really Were!

Very well said!

 

Saf57 you spoke volumes in that last post. I hope others stop and think about those words. Made me realize that it really is the simple things in life that make life's memories.
It's my own fault we don't have an old RV. Heck I already have an antique motorhome I haven't worked on. Might be too old to fix it up. But not too old to take a ride or roast hotdogs with others.
I can't think of a better weekend than to do like you and other Tin Can Tourists have done lately. Of course we don't have to be members of a special club or even have an old RV. Just do as you said, pack a lunch, call some friends, or even relatives, and sit in the shade at a park. Maybe kick some rocks on a beach or walk a short trail.
Texas Mike has shown us the way. All we need to do is follow.

 

Everyone talks about the good old days, but they were your good old days. Maybe you all should think about something else.

Today's screwed up kids are your kids and grandkids. What did YOU do that made them turn out this way.

Today's economy is screwed up. YOU, during your working life, made the economy what it is today. Where did you F'up.

Everybody gripes about the politicians. YOU elected them. Why? Do you vote strictly by party affiliation, religious beliefs, or union wishes? Special interest groups are only concerned with their own agenda, not what's best.

Wise up and take the blame. Each of us played a part and it's not all THEIR fault, it's ours.

To quote Pogo, "I have seen the enemy and he is us."

 

back in them good old days

It was in the early 70's. Me, my Mom and my sisters were at a fix it shop with our 64 Dynamic 88 four door sedan. We were going to be getting brakes done, nothing dire... A mechanic was talking with someone who had brought in their much older car for engine repairs. And, swear at God, cross my eyes, the mechanic said,"Are you sure you want me to fix this again? It's a 57 Chevy, for Pete's sake." He said it like he was growing tired of fixing this 57 Chevy over and over again. The person said, yes they wanted it fixed again. The mechanic relented, saying "Okay" like he couldn't understand why anyone would want to waste money on a rickety old piece of crap like a 57 Chevy... Yes, those good old days...

 

In 1969, one of our neighbours blew the transmission in her car. At that point she decided to scrap the old car and buy a new Nova sedan. I told her to hang on to the old car, since it would be something special some day. Who listens to an 8 year old kid about cars? She scrapped her old car, no problem, for $25.00! Oh, for the good old days when you could get a 12,000 mile 57 Chevrolet Bel Air 2 door hard top, 283 2 bbl, on the original white walls for $25.00!

 

the late 70's

and early 80's too... Back when I was making $125 every two weeks, there was a myriad of cars for sale, for less than $500. Most of them huge GM products. If I work real hard, I might be able to come up with a list of all the Cadillacs I wouldn't mind having, on the fingers of one hand. So, I wasn't really interested in buying any of those mid-70's monsters. Still not interested in them. Every once in a while, cars came up that piqued the interest, though. A mid-60's Bonneville wagon(the kind that looked like hammerhead sharks)for "$50 and you jump start it." Passed on it, when someone quasi-quoted Johnny Depp decades in advance and said, "There's something wrong with that car." Strangely enough, a few months later, I borrowed that car for a midnight road trip with a young lady. Except for the part where a tank of gas seemed to disappear rather quickly, there really wasn't that much wrong with it. But, the guy I borrowed it from did say his brother had spent almost a grand on it, to make it road worthy. We were also told, if it breaks down while we're driving it, we were to pay for the tow and the fixes. It didn't break down. It just drank a lot of gas, and plenty of motor oil.

 

When I moved here in 82, in the at the time ghetto part of town....witch I live in now...It's long gone from being ghetto there was a strip that had hords of $500 and under car lots, some real jems I tell ya. Friends and I would go for the $100 crappers, all chip in get a beater and go camping in the hills. We would Dukes of Hazzard the crap out of these cars in a weekend, lots of people did it. You didn't have to worry about flat tires as the hills at the time were full of destroyed cars. I remember 1 time we went over our limit and paid $150 for a Fury just because we knew there were more mopar rims with tires in the hills than any other.

Then older logging roads were closed up towards the end of the 80's and a small fortune was spent @ tax payers cost to drag a couple hundred cars+ out of the woods. I guess it was for the better looking back as some creeks were getting contaminated from the junk, some times people did get hurt and being on government land created some issues but it sure was a fun back then.

 

You got my point, Tedy.
Parents don't dare allow their children out alone, especially after dark. It's just too damn dangerous for them. Especially girls. While that is especially true in cities, it's no less accurate even about small towns. Hell, you can't even sit on your front porch and enjoy a warm summer evening anymore without having to keep an eye out for strange people and strange cars. And leaving your door unlocked toady? Only if you are insane. Or suicidal.
I think that one of the things I miss about the GOD's is the sound of kids laughing and playing outside in the evening, while the adults sat on the porch and read or visited with the neighbor's or just watched the kids with amusement as they played tag or chased fireflies.
Nowdays, after dark, it's not safe to leave your curtains or blinds open. It just makes you a target.

Yeah, I do miss the Good Old Days. Whatever faults or problems there might have been back then, they were still better than today.

 

Every generation before us laments the changes and says they grew up in a "the best time ever". Or something to that effect.
To some extent this is true. The world has coarsened over the years. Sure we conquered many forms of disease and managed to perfect things like clean food sources and the neat computer I am typing this on. But all in all, life has not really improved that much over the last 100 years.

Sure I like Rock and Roll... but Rachmaninoff was damn cool too and I love horses as well so I would be well suited in the late 1880's as I am now.

What I am trying to say is that things are changing! And today... they are not changing for the better.

 

Sure I like Rock and Roll... but Rachmaninoff was damn cool too and I love horses as well so I would be well suited in the late 1880's as I am now.

Still rather clean up after my car than a horse! But I do see similarities in what people are trying to make us believe!

 

Thank you!

(Oh and I didn't read the whole topic as of this reply or edit; I merely quoted your reply after I saw it.)

This part is a bit on and a bit off-subject here, I'm a 21-year old and I'm seeing a very tiny bit of the world through "My window" And I'm only me, I'm not someone else so I can't see what exactly they see unless its shared. Some times, I think "Why on earth do these people do this?" When seeing them post "lol" to subjects that I do not think should be laughed at which I will not mention here and then I may recall, Even I did things out of fear of being left out of situations but I may still not be seeing the whole story. But when you have building blocks, You can use them regardless of their color and quite frankly, There might be a lot of "Grey Area" Blocks in this world that are actually a beautiful color but not everyone can see that the blocks are beautiful unless they search.

Austin

 

When us kids were getting too much under-foot for mom and dad, we were told, "Go play on the freeway!" I think they were only halfway kidding. They must have been. I do think my dad offered to drive us there and drop us off once.

 

Here, here!!!


Just go out and do the best you can with what you have to work with.

 

Saf and 81x are my heros

tonite we had Dads Day dinner at my sisiters

11 adults between 30 and 85 ...and 10 kids under 14..
..absolute mayhem..
..but everyone hugs each other when they show up and when they're leaving

a tight family unit is a good start to a good ol day


Happy Dads day to all you Dads