The Good Old Days

Sometimes I just don’t buy the concept of the “Good Old Days” - the idea that technological advancement is not necessarily making society better.  But I just can’t totally buy into that. We’re upset at 24/7 news coverage that invades our lives. Cell phones that never turn off. Individualistic selfishness that governs our spending.

But think about this.

•   In the 40’s the world had no idea about what Germany was doing to Jewish people. Today we had the worldwide KONY campaign to free people from the tyranny of other LRA. Credit 24/7 access to news and media.

•   My grandmother’s generation used to joke about how they would mail their leftover dinner to Africa to help feed starving children. I buy "Tom’s" so a child gets a pair of shoes every time I do. I give to "Life Water" so that communities have wells. I have travelled to developing nations to help in communities that generations passed had no idea how to help. Credit global community and a desire to help someone other than myself and over privileged North Americans.
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• We say families don’t talk any more. But wasn’t it the previous generations  where textbooks instructed good wives not to speak to their husband when  he got home until he had a drink, and then the men went out a night and left   families alone? Communication is definitely not perfected in today’s age, but   we going to counsellors together, texting each other, and at least talking about the issue. Credit people examination and improving communication networks.
• Didn’t Dr.’s used to smoke, car not have mufflers, food come in styrofoam containers and and and…

I was doing my life journal reading this morning and came across Ecclesiastes 7:10. “Don't say, "Why were things better in the good old days? It isn't wise to ask that kind of question.” As always, ancient wisdom already has answers to questions we are still asking in 2012. The good old days were not really good old days. They were just different days with different benefits and different challenges. We can look back at any era of time and identify massive problems and significant benefits.

Today’s generation has it’s own set of challenges, but longing for a time when things were better is not the answer. It’s not even reality. I was inspired today to instead of getting upset at what our world has become, to work within my world to make it the best I can be. I can really only control one person. And I would rather use my all access, global fast paced world to do something to make significant change.