The "Good Old Days" Paradox...

[WillBrink]

I'm not talking about shutting yourself in the house and watching old films of when you were a star. But more like driving past something like Pizza Hut and WISHING it still tasted like Pizza Hut because wouldn't that be nice. As with everything, somethings are better and some things are worse. I think it's human nature to wish we still had all the better stuff that is now gone.

Really don't have much choice in the matter about living in the present, I have a lot of stuff to do.

Many, if not most people, live in the past thinking how great it was, and or, worrying about the future, and do live in the present. It's not easy to do, and takes effort and work. I rarely get caught up in the past, I often waste time on stressing over the future.

[ChattanoogaPhil]

The good old days of freedom. Well... unless you were white and your woman was another race. Anti-miscegenation outlawed marriage among other things. That's not ancient history. Loving v Virginia was 1967. Or how about so-called Blue laws that forbid you from opening your business and other activities on Sunday. Heck, we just finished erasing Blue laws here in 2004. Basic freedoms that many take for granted today were not so in recent past, much to the chagrin of religious zealots using government to oppress others for their own good. A lot depends on which side of the fence you're standing.

There's not enough bandwidth to list all the wonderful freedoms of the past... but since this is a gun forum here's a glimpse of gun carry freedoms in my home state of Tennessee not so long ago.

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Prior to 1989, Tennessee was a limited “open carry” state. Tennessee’s open carry law was limited to “army or navy” pistols but only if such pistols were carried openly in the hand. The statute did not allow citizens to holster the weapons or to carry these types of pistols concealed. A person would have to become a special deputy or receive a special police commission in order carry a handgun that did not fit the “army or navy” designation. These commissions were also necessary if the individual wanted to carry the weapon concealed or holstered.

In 1989, Tennessee overhauled its handgun carry laws to provide that sheriffs “may issue” a handgun carry permit to authorize “any person” to carry a handgun. This change in the law allowed a sheriff to issue handgun carry permits without having to make the person a special deputy or officer. Although the 1989 law authorized a sheriff to issue handgun carry permits there were problems. First, it did not require the sheriff to issue civilian permits. Second, the permits were only good in the county in which they were issued.


More here: https://tennesseefirearms.com/resour...ilian-permits/

[AndyLate]

I think we are going to look back in 10-20 years and clearly see what the pandemic years have taken from us.

I'm 53 and life gets better every day. My Granddaughter is one of the biggest reasons for that, of course. I am not happy with the government, but nothing is forever.

Andy

[Slater]

The good old days of freedom. Well... unless you were white and your woman was another race. Anti-miscegenation outlawed marriage among other things. That's not ancient history. Loving v Virginia was 1967. Or how about so-called Blue laws that forbid you from opening your business and other activities on Sunday. Heck, we just finished erasing Blue laws here in 2004. Basic freedoms that many take for granted today were not so in recent past, much to the chagrin of religious zealots using government to oppress others for their own good. A lot depends on which side of the fence you're standing.

There's not enough bandwidth to list all the wonderful freedoms of the past... but since this is a gun forum here's a glimpse of gun carry freedoms in my home state of Tennessee not so long ago.

---

Prior to 1989, Tennessee was a limited “open carry” state. Tennessee’s open carry law was limited to “army or navy” pistols but only if such pistols were carried openly in the hand. The statute did not allow citizens to holster the weapons or to carry these types of pistols concealed. A person would have to become a special deputy or receive a special police commission in order carry a handgun that did not fit the “army or navy” designation. These commissions were also necessary if the individual wanted to carry the weapon concealed or holstered.

In 1989, Tennessee overhauled its handgun carry laws to provide that sheriffs “may issue” a handgun carry permit to authorize “any person” to carry a handgun. This change in the law allowed a sheriff to issue handgun carry permits without having to make the person a special deputy or officer. Although the 1989 law authorized a sheriff to issue handgun carry permits there were problems. First, it did not require the sheriff to issue civilian permits. Second, the permits were only good in the county in which they were issued.


More here: https://tennesseefirearms.com/resour...ilian-permits/

I grew up in Tennessee (Giles county). Back in the 1960's/70's I can recall stores being closed on Thursdays and Sundays.

[ABNAK]

The thing I miss most about the "good ole days" is those who are no longer with us. I fondly recall my younger days when "everybody was still alive". What you'd give for another chance to visit, drink a beer, or just shoot the breeze. Oh well, such is life.....

[SteyrAUG]

The thing I miss most about the "good ole days" is those who are no longer with us. I fondly recall my younger days when "everybody was still alive". What you'd give for another chance to visit, drink a beer, or just shoot the breeze. Oh well, such is life.....

Yeah, that is the only thing hard about moving back to the small town my family is from. My dad died in 2008 and I still sometimes will be headed someplace to get something to eat and think to myself "I should run by dads house and see if he wants to go" before I remember I can't do that anymore.

Lots of old landmarks trigger lots of old memories of people and things.

[Five_Point_Five_Six]

I had a great childhood in the 80s and my teen years in the 90s were awesome, but truth be told, I miss the years that my kids were babies and toddlers more than I miss "the good ol days" of my youth. They're teenagers now and I'm excited to see what they do with their lives but man the years when they were small were fun.

[yoni]

I had a fantastic childhood growing up in the USA.

Family road trips, skiing, hiking, racing moto cross, shooting.

I used to look back at the muscle cars of my youth and was like wow, they were cool. Then a friend of a friend let me drive his Chevy Malibu SS. he had a frame off restoration, it was gorgeous. It was fun in a straight line, brakes and cornering was beyond terrible.

I 100% believe if the American people can win the marxist revolution and post victory put things back the way they should be. Then America will have the best future of any country in the world and it will eclipse the past greatness of the USA.
If the American people fail to defeat the marxist, then the future is closer to the Soviet Union than the USA.

[Straight Shooter]

Yeah, that is the only thing hard about moving back to the small town my family is from. My dad died in 2008 and I still sometimes will be headed someplace to get something to eat and think to myself "I should run by dads house and see if he wants to go" before I remember I can't do that anymore.

Lots of old landmarks trigger lots of old memories of people and things.

KILLIN ME.

From the time I was born up until the early nineties when the last of them died, I knew and hung out with a lot of old folks..like folks that were 100 years old or more.
Wow the stuff theyve told me. Just an incredible thing to hear what they endured as they grew up. Especially the black folk.
Also- my uncle had a junkyard for 40 years. Literally had at some point about every muscle car made, and many many of them. They were hot rod/racing fanatics & loved Camaro's..69's especially. Ive had several "classic" cars & trucks myself. But pulling in the old dirt lot and seeing a 69 Charger with a blower sticking out of the hood...or Uncle saying "Hey, go get that old Dodge Police car and lets go for a ride." We went for a ride alright...he'd scare the heck outta me.

[glocktogo]

Sat out last night in my neighbor's driveway with a few adult beverages. The four of us watched fireworks in the neighborhood. We also spotted a drone, three floating lanterns, a shooting star and no joke, 11 satellites. Some of the satellites were very dim, but one of them was so bright it looked like the ISS (which was over the Indian Ocean so it wasn't that), and we wondered what it actually was. We talked about getting a really good telescope in the future and doing a road trip to find some dark sky for better viewing.

For the cost of a few beers and folding chairs, we had a pretty good couple of hours. With all the bad news and negative trends, it's important to find time with good friends and family, so you don't forget to focus on what's really important.