The Good Old Days

 

I'm so glad you are here for my first blog post on this first Saturday of the month. I plan to have every "The Art of Positive Living" post on the first Saturday of every month from now on. I will post my blog, "Spirit Photographs," on the third Saturday of each month.

I've been thinking a lot about the subject of my post for today, something that is close to my heart, the good old days, since my newly revised book, "Down Memory Lane,"* is about the good old days!

Although we perhaps romanticize days in the past, there is much we can learn from the positive aspects of those days.

And, here are many of them-

~People were very patriotic.

"I pledge allegiance to the flag...."

~People read books, had hobbies, and played board games.

~School students were generally well-behaved. Those few who weren't, were disciplined. The worst thing that I can remember when I went to school was that one boy had to be sent home because his hair was too long in the back.

~Most people graduated from high school, and many went on to higher education.

~People dressed nicely. Here's an excerpt from a chapter in my book that Greg wrote - "Personal appearance was important. Most people looked neat and well-groomed. Shirt tails were tucked in and shoes were shined....Most people looked fit and trim."

~People were honest. If they found a missing wallet, they'd return it. Also, they kept their word. If they said they were going to do something, they would do it. If they found out they couldn't do it, they'd let it be known.

"Do what you know to be right." -David Icke

~Religion was important to most people.

~In fact, two of my high school graduation gifts were two small gold crosses that two different people gave me. 

~People were generally complimentary to each other. They tried to make people feel good about themselves. Things like this mean a lot to others.

~People helped their friends, relatives, and neighbors when needed.

~One day, Greg and I were at a garage, and a woman who was a receptionist there was so nice. She was pleasant and very efficient. She seemed happy, and she made you feel better by just being around her. 

~Most television shows and movies were G-rated. They were good, decent. quality shows. The characters set a good example. The good guys won. There was a moral to every story.

~People were industrious, hard-working, and ambitious. Most kept the same job or profession their whole lives. My grandfather was a doctor who truly cared about other people, and he charged his patients very little.

~The man was the breadwinner, and his wife stayed home and kept house and cared for their children.

~Families had fun times together, like going on picnics with made-from-scratch dishes like homemade potato salad or fresh green beans.

~Most leaders were honest and respected.

~Music was harmonious.

~In the early days, all food was organic.

How does life today compare to the good old days?

Thankfully, we generally stack up pretty well overall, but, of course, there is plenty of room for improvement. Any areas in which we are lacking can be turned around. Anywhere that we're falling short can be remedied with some positive planning and some work, but it can be done, individually and/or by people working together.

If we do that, then we can then truly say, "The good ol' days are being made right now." -From Blue Bell Ice Cream commercial

Coincidentally, I just recently found out about a really neat festival, the "Good Old Days" street festival in Pacific Grove, California this weekend. There will be a parade, a pie-eating contest, and much more! It sounds like fun!

Appalachian Author Feature: Linda Hudson Hoagland  

FYI: facebook.com/lindahudsonhoagland/

Linda Hoagland lives in Southwest Virginia. She is a talented author who has won several writing awards for her poetry, short stories, and books. Some of her book titles are "Snooping Can Be Dangerous," "The Backwards House." and "The Best Darn Secret." Do these sound intriguing! If so, be sure and check out her work. 

Also, Linda makes beautiful angel afghans that are for sale. If you are interested in these, contact her at lhhoagland@yahoo.com 

*For more information about my book, "Down Memory Lane," please see the widget above. It's available on Amazon in both the paperback and Kindle versions.

Positive thought: "We are all here to 'practice being godlike'-to treat others how we'd like to be treated." -From "Tools for Freedom"

Thanks for visiting! Until Saturday, June 3, 2023, Becky 

Friendships

 

First of all, during this time period in our lives, we all need people we can count on, to confide in, and to celebrate with, in victories both large and small. Instead of pulling apart, we need to stand together, united. These people might be in our family or they may be outside of our family. In any case, anyone who cares about us as we do them would be considered our friends.

Traditional friends could be childhood friends, teenage friends, workplace friends, social friends, or lifelong friends. We might see these friends often, but there may be others that we connect with only occasionally.

Some might come into our lives for a while, and then go out as quickly as they came, but we can learn something from every type of friendship.

In my newly revised book, "Down Memory Lane,"* I mention friendships.

Here are some things that weren't in my book, but they could have been:

I was invited to go on a cruise to the Bahamas by two of my friends who are sisters. I'd never been on a cruise before, and it was quite an adventure, soaking up all of the local culture and the sun, and enjoying the fun and fellowship.

With One of My Friends (Incognito) in the Bahamas

One day on the cruise, we got off at one stop, and we decided we wanted mangos. We didn't have any transportation so we had to walk, and it wasn't a short stroll. I don't remember how good the mangos were after we got them, but I do remember that my brand new sandals were in shreds when we got back from our little walk! I also remember how one of us had said, "I'd walk a mile for a mango!"

We were all single girls, having a lot of fun, but none of us had any shipboard romances like on "The Love Boat" which was a popular television comedy/drama from 1977-1987. However, after our cruise, a few months later, I was lucky to have found Greg who became my best friend and soulmate, and six months later, we were married. My friend from the cruise (pictured above) was my maid of honor at our wedding.

When I was growing up, everybody on our part of the street in our small town knew each other, and some even became friends. I dated a couple of the guys, and some of the other people and I are still in contact.

The last few years, one of my childhood friends has been sending me little gifts that had belonged to my grandparents which they had given to her grandmother. I really cherish these since I love memorabilia, especially things that belonged to my family members that have passed on. I'm sending my friend a copy of my latest book.* (My friend [Susie] is also mentioned in my book.)

Those early times seemed simpler, more wonderful, because now, most people in neighborhoods hardly know each other. It would be great to get back to that same sense of camaraderie. We need it now more than ever!

*For more information about my book, please see the widget above.

Small Business Feature: Adda Leah Davis, Appalachian Author

FYI: https://addaleahdavis.com

I'd like to tell you about a local Appalachian author in Virginia,  Adda Leah Davis, who has written several books including "The Beckoning Hills," "The Whisperer," (a mystery), "Lucinda's Mountain," and "A Heaven Sent Wife," to mention a few.

This prolific author is currently writing yet another book, and it should be equally as good as the others are.

If you love Appalachia, as I do, please be sure and check out her wonderful website. Bet you'll be glad you did!

PS: Addie knows the value of friendship since she really cherishes her friends.

Positive thought: "Friends make the world beautiful." - Unknown

Thanks for visiting! Until Sunday, April 9, 2023, Becky