My heart grieves for the people of Norway…almost as it grieved for America on September 11, some ten years ago. I am saddened for the family and friends of Amy Winehouse, because a wounded, empty heart sought fulfillment in drugs and alcohol, until the screaming demons of addiction were silent in her still and lifeless body. It is just as I felt about Anna Nicole Smith, although I was a fan of neither.
Shutting out current events and closing my eyes, I go back to being a carefree little girl with flowing brown hair and cat-eyed glasses. I remember how pleased I was for a nickel reward, which meant five pieces of bubble gum which would promptly all go into my mouth. The biggest bubbles could only be blown with a mouthful of gum! A nickel would also buy a six ounce Coke if you went to Underwood Elementary. Five cents would buy at least five pieces of candy, or a little box that held even more. My shielded world consisted of my family, my church, my school, and my little circle of friends.
This morning, I long for a simpler day…
…back to the time where the biggest problem I had was not being able to find my glasses. (To this day, certain relatives won’t let me live one particular incident down, when I put them in my grandfather’s denture holder…which truly grosses me out now...and all my cousins were enlisted to help find them. No one did until Grandpa took his teeth out that night.) In those days, spending the night with Lisa or Tammy was all the entertainment I needed, and entertained I was. There was no need for Wii, Nintendo, or DX games. We had Monopoly, Parcheesi, and Chinese Checkers. Before cell phones took parents away from small children, I could talk to my mom in the car, and she talked back to me. It breaks my heart to see so many parents ignoring their children as they do everything with a phone stuck to their ear.
Oh, how I long for a simpler day…a nickel day…when life was less hectic, less demanding; quieter in my little world.
I hope your Sunday is a Nickel Day…
those were the good old days! can you imagine what will happen in the next 20 years that our kids will remember their childhood, technology and all, and say "those were the good old days?"
ReplyDeleteCell phones are wonderful, but we (figuratively) have allowed them to take over our world. Horrors, there was absolutely a time you could sit through a church service without a cell phone going off around you. Or a movie, or a play, or whatever. Horrows, people actually walked or exercised without talking on the phone and could either talk with their traveling companion or actually let their mind think. (For the record, I only carry my cell phone when alone or exercising the dog alone and never into church, etc).
Nickel Days sound wonderful! You need to share those memories (if you haven't already) with your grandkids and daughter. Those were the good old days indeed!
My heart too aches with all the violence and sadness in this world, it makes me ever aware that we do live in a fallen world and we need to continue to get the message out of the hope of Jesus, who truly is our only Hope!
betty
I really hate typos.
ReplyDeleteyou make me long for nickle days as well....what typo??
ReplyDeleteYour post reminded me of McGee's Store on the corner from my house; it's now the Mailing Room. Pennies could buy so much then, and it was one place my mother let me walk. Sadly I'm not sure I'd let a child walk even a block by themselves these days.
ReplyDeleteAmy was in no way like Anna Nicole Smith except for the addiction. She said she didn't want fame--just wanted to be a "wife and mum." How sad no one could help her...
Thank you for such a wonderful reminder that life lived simply can be very freeing!! We definitely all need to do more of that. especially me!
ReplyDeleteI couldn't agree more - such a perfect post for times like these....
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