The ‘good’ old days

VIEWPOINT

By RALPH HARDIN

Evening Times Editor

We often look back at years gone by and call them the “good old days.” And that’s fine, but it’s also a lie.

There are no good old days. There are good day, there are bad days and there are old days — and each morning there are new days. It’s important to remember them all.

What’s the best day of your life? What about the worst day?

Those might be easy to recall. But what about all the days in between? There’s no reason to think the past was any better or worse than today because it all matters and it all plays a part in making us who we are.

It might sound dumb, but there’s a line from the animated movie “Kung Fu Panda” where the wise Master Shifu says, “The past is history. The future is a mystery, but today is a gift. That’s why it is called ‘the present.’” Goofy, but poignant.

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And don’t stop to enjoy life’s little moments. Remeber these words from Ed Helms’ character Andy from “The Office”: “I wish there was a way to know you were in the good old days before you actually left them.”

But as we reflect on those days gone by, I do think it’s important to remember that not everyone has the same shared fondness for days gone by.

You’re fondness for the 1960s or 1980s or whenever might not compare to someone’s who is a different race or gender or comes from a different economic background.

We are four years removed now from the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. And it was terrible. Separated from society, losing friends and loved ones, all the uncertainty and animosity.

But you know what? On a personal level, my family and I took advantage of the pandemic in the best possible ways. I began working from home, my oldest kids came home and finished their college degrees online, we were all together under one roof, and thankfully no one in our family died from COVID-19.

I know not everyone was so fortunate and I’m never going to say to someone, “Hey, remember 2020? How great was that?”

So, remember the good old days, but remember they weren’t good for everyone.