The Good Old Days Are Gone
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The Good Old Days Aren't Coming Back
Guess what people: the good old days are gone and the chances of bringing them back are slim. We no longer live in a “McCall’s Magazine” world where people’s parents have been faithfully married for years, Dad works and mom stays home, people don’t lock their doors, friends are people who help you out when problems pop up and individuals dress and act in a civil manner.
The lines drawn by society, although discriminatory back then, were sharp and clear. The few people who broke the rules of society kept their activities quiet. The average person didn’t hear about child abuse, rarely knew anybody who was divorced, and was shocked when they heard a woman or girl they knew was pregnant out of wedlock.
People Followed The Rules In The Good Old Days
The average American knew that if he lived right, raised his children properly, worked hard, saved his money and invested it wisely, he could look forward to a happy life and a good retirement. He took responsibility for his own actions, and when things went wrong, he blamed himself first.
In short, although not fair to everybody, the pieces of the puzzle were in place. This gave a sense of security to the populace and kept American society functional. It wasn’t a perfect world, but it was one where people knew the importance of following the rules. They also knew if they broke the rules, punishment and censure would be fast and hard.
The results were phenomenal. Divorce rates were low. Single mothers were few. High School graduation rates were high. Jobs were plentiful. People’s money was safe in their banks. It was, generally speaking, a good life for all.
The Good Old Days Started to Disappear After World War 2
People thought these societal norms would continue forever, but somewhere along the line, the train ran off the track. I think our downfall started with World War 11.
Prior to that time, most women worked only at home. They were totally dependent on their husbands for financial support. When the war took their men away, they had to fill in for them at work to keep the country running. They quickly learned that having their own money meant freedom. Now they had new choices.
By the time their men returned from the war, it was too late. Many women liked working and making money, and they were not about to stop. As a result, some marriages ended. Women now felt they were free to live as they pleased. They started partying and enjoying nightlife. It was a new world for them.
The 60's Smashed The Rules of The Good Old Days
Most of them were overjoyed when the people started demanding their rights. It was the 60’s!
People began to break the rules but never thought about the consequences that would come as a result . Life was fun for them, but it was also the beginning of the havoc that we see in today’s world.
When morality flew out the window, our sense of security went with it. There was more crime and more poverty. Children lost the guidance they needed because they no longer had both parents, or the parents they had were too busy feeding their egos to properly parent. The collapse of the family was the beginning of the collapse of our systems.
The Trust, Honor and Civility We Had During The Good Old Days Disappeared When the Internet Took Over
The arrival of the internet exacerbated the problems. Now people could go online worldwide. This exposed them to all manner of information, much of it the wrong kind.
They learned they could not trust corporations, doctors, hospitals, lawyers, banks, schools, cosmetics, cleaning products or even their next door neighbor.
Young people watched their favorite heroes and Hollywood stars break all the rules. They began to mutilate their bodies in ways that made them look like members of primitive tribe members.
Today, Trust is gone, honor is gone, civility is gone and the majority of our systems are failing. Our society clearly is out of control.
Unfortunately, due to technology, it’s no longer just America. The entire world is crumbling. Even our world leaders don’t know how to deal with this problem. It’s a very scary time for everybody.
We wring our hands, moan and complain, but the problems continue to worsen. Nobody knows what to do to fix them, but it’s really not that complicated.
The answer lies in one phrase: individual responsibility.
We Can Recapture The Essence Of The Good Old Days By Practicing Personal Responsibility
When people get over themselves and start realizing that they are the ones creating or feeding into our problems, they will be taking the first steps towards rebalancing the world. Will this ever happen? Possibly. I said the answer was simple, I never said it would be easy.
Each one of us should look inward and think about things we are doing that are selfish, apathetic, lazy, arrogant or immoral. If we are willing to change ourselves, regain our values and our morality, we can set things right. How do we do this? Here are some questions to ask yourself:
- Have I been cheating on my taxes?
- Do I go to work every day and try to do the best job possible?
- Are the clothes I’m wearing in public appropriate?
- Do I really listen when people speak to me?
- Am I making excuses instead of fixing problems?
- Do I blame others when I should be blaming myself?
- Do I cast votes for politicians only after researching their backgrounds?
- Do I vote for the individual instead of the party?
- Do I ever reach out to help a friend or neighbor?
- Am I taking the time to raise my children properly?
- Have I filed a lawsuit just to enrich myself?
- Do I respect the rights of others?
- Do I show enough love and caring to my spouse, children, friends and family members?
- Do I keep my promises?
- Do I take care of my own responsibilities?
- Do I volunteer in my community?
- Do I show respect for my children’s school and its teachers?
- Do I present a good role model to young people?
- When I see a problem, do I do my best to correct it?
- Do I try to “get it right the first time” when dealing with people?
- Will I or Did I wait to marry before having children?
- Will I or Did I marry for the right reasons?
- Do I do anything to abuse any of our systems?
- Am I proactive in my own health care?
- Do I properly maintain my home?
- Do I manage my money in a safe and constructive way?
If you are honest, you can see yourself in some of the items listed here. By making changes for the better, even small ones, you can help to improve things for yourself and everybody else. It’s not an easy thing to do, but unless we all pitch in, our society is going to go the way of the ancient Roman and Greek civilizations.
I’m not a formally religious person, but I do know that the Ten Commandments were a set of rules designed to show people the right way to live. They gave us clear parameters, but we have been ignoring them. For this, the world has paid a huge price.
It’s time to stop complaining. It’s time to stop talking. Making changes will be hard and will require sacrifices. Bringing our world back into balance is a lofty goal, but it is one worth fighting for. To do less is to lose everything.
The good old days are gone and will never return. However, if we are willing to take personal responsibility as individuals, we can look forward to better days ahead. I hope you will join me in this venture.
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TT2
The "good old days" also saw spousal abuse and child abuse go unreported. If it was reported NOTHING was done because women and children were considered property not people. Racism was rampant and encouraged. I, for one, am glad the good old days are gone. We DO need to realize that ALL people need to respect each other to be able to fix the problems of today. But remember this MAN is the most dangerous ANIMAL on the planet today and this will remain so until we fix the problem.
I know that, and as I said in the article, things weren't perfect back then, but at least there was some balance and a sense of security for most people. Even back then, abused spouses had the choice of leaving or staying, and certainly the option of protecting or not protecting their children. As I said, it all goes back to personal responsibility. There is no question that racism was rampant...it still is, people just do a better job of hiding their true feelings these days.
You are right, man is a dangerous animal, but he also has the ability to forgive, to love, to be compassionate and to show respect for all that is good. The only way we can fix the problem is by looking within ourselves and doing what we can...and that's what this article is about.
Thanks for reading my hub.
It took me a long time to sort out my thoughts on this one. I did want to provoke people with the hopes that they would think about what each of them contributes to the problems we endure today. I'll follow the comments on this one with great interest. Thanks for reading!!
Congratulations on the HUB!, I wish I saw more of these published, we need more enlightening information to make us stop and wonder: "where are we headed?"
Thanks. This was a hard one for me to write, but I think it was worth it. I'm hoping it will cause people to stop, think and maybe try to improve their ways. Appreciate the read!!
"I think our downfall started with World War 2.
Prior to that time, most women worked only at home. They were totally dependent on their husbands for financial support. When the war took their men away, they had to fill in for them at work to keep the country running. They quickly learned that having their own money meant freedom. Now they had new choices.
By the time their men returned from the war, it was too late. Women liked working and making money, and they were not about to stop"
I'm sorry if I'm reading into this too much...but basically it looks like you're saying: Woman had a taste of equally and this started our nation's downfall. And a taste of freedom is a bad thing?
Wow. I don't consider myself a rabid feminist, actually, I'm a stay-at-home mom (who also has online jobs). But I'm highly offended by this. I may agree with you on some other points, but I think you are throwing women under the bus here. I'm sorry, but don't think equal rights for women is a bad thing.
Then you talk about the civil rights movement,and I get the impression that was also one of the ills of the nation. Clarify this for me please...do you speak of the civil rights of women or race civil rights? Do you think the equally of all people is a bad thing?
If I'm getting the wrong impression, I apologize.
I think you're a bit too sensitive about what I've written. I did not say anywhere in this hub that I think equality of any kind is bad. And when I speak of Civil Rights, I am not just talking about race. I'm talking about the rights of everybody. I also am not making judgments of "bad" or "good". I'm only stating what actually happened. Read the history books. Freedom is clearly not a bad thing, but too much freedom has swung the pendulum too far in this world. By the way, I'm a woman who is old and who has personally seen these changes and how they've transformed our society. What's missing here is this. Freedom without personal responsibility wreaks havoc, and THAT is what has caused the problems we now face in America.
I know my history and I respect your perspective. I understand the main theme of your hub and I agree with it. However, I think the way you presented it seemed to point blame on women and civil rights. I'm just looking at your line of reasoning, that's all. It seemed to be saying A+B=C, and I don't think it's that simple.
Billy Joel once sang, "We didn't start the fire, It was always burning since the world's been turning". Everyone blames the baby boomers, Gen X, Y & Z for the mess in our society. Man has been a mess since caveman era. Look at the Wild West, look at the French Revolution, I could go on and on...people have done many horrific things throughout history, much worse than what we are facing now.
Yes, I agree freedom without personal responsibility wreaks havoc. But, making generalized statements about the behavior of one group of people, whether it be post-war women or an entire generation is unfair and wrong. That's all I'm saying.
I respect your position even though I don't totally agree with it, and I hope you will respect mine. I will repeat that I was only stating the way things went, the flow of history as you will. I'm sorry you feel the way you do, but I cannot change that. Perhaps you might want to write your own hub about this issue. I would be very interested in reading it. Again, thanks for reading.
I think it is a nice summary of the re-balancing of the world that occured after WWII which, as yourself and your readers noticed, put an end to racism and sexism. This is a good account of how things have changed, alongside the idea that personal responsibility should not be neglected, even if it is perhaps perceived at the moment that evil doers prosper.
Very good questions you asked here...made me stop awhile and ponder where I am... :)
Congratulations on your Hubnuggets nomination! Woohoo check it out http://redelf.hubpages.com/hub/Happy-HubNuggets-Va be sure to read and vote!
I truly believe that "what goes round comes round". Those of us who try to live the right way will win in the end, but it seems as though it will be a long road to victory. Thanks so much for reading my hub!
Thanks for reading and for the hubnuggets nomination reminder. I am very honored to be nominated for the third time! I do hope this article will make people stop and think about their own positions. It is not hard to do the right thing, but it's easy to let some things slide. None of us can afford to do that these days!
You can count me in (joining you in this venture) Beautiful thoughts, clear compelling analysis, powerful writing..... I enjoyed reading this. Such a pleasure to read something that is not run of the mill. Voted up and awesome. Thanks.
Vinodkpillai, I feel the same way about your writing. If I'm going to read something, I generally prefer it be something of substance and quality. Thanks for reading and thanks for the follow.
I disagree with just about everything you stated in this article. I hope the good-ole days NEVER come back. If you just do a little research you will quickly see that the good-ole days never existed.
I guess it all depends on whose good old days you refer to. Mine were wonderful. Apparently, yours were not. I actually did quite a bit of research for this article, but again, it depends on your point of view. I'm sorry your memories aren't good ones and I hope life is better for you now. Thanks for reading.
Hi TIMETRAVELER2,
All those Have's, Do's, Are's, Am's, When's and Will's in your list are not difficult, I do them as a way of life.
I also have an opinion just like you and in my opinion it is all subjective and all management come from the top according to the so called experts. So it doesn't matter what I do it won't change because I am at the bottom.
That will not stop me from living my life as I think it should be lived and perhaps the future is brighter than you think.
There is no factual information in this article it is pure opinion, there is attempts at fact but they are snip its taken out of context and reconfigured to fit you opinion.
All I can say is good luck and I agree with everybody who is challenging your opinion but I do not agree with you.
Sorry but I wouldn't be true to myself if I did agree and so wouldn't be able to conform to your list of Have's, Do's, Are's, Am's, When's and Will's.
But I am not the problem because all management comes from the top and I am at the bottom.
Thanks, for the opportunity, Gareth.
Life is what you make it, life has never been perfect and "good old days" don't actually exist. Life wasn't better in the past than they are now, in fact life for most of the people on Earth is probably a lot better and a lot more comfortable, liveable and not a constant struggle for survival for most as it was back in the "Good old Days"... The "Good old days" is a mythology created by TV in the 1950s. For some people who lived back then I am sure life was great and they could portray such a life on TV if they were well off. But the background of actual life back then was no better than today, life is just as hard for the average person then as it is now... in fact life was most definitely harder back then, considering historical facts. We can site just as many ills then as now, gangs, rapes, crime, poverty... back then however we have more human rights violations, and they were legal, slavery, spousal abuse, and unequal treatment for anyone not a white male.
I am 38 and I can only go by what I lived and what my family actually experienced. But as far as the times go, they were no better than now. Any other view of them is from an individuals sheltered experience and not from reality.
Well Gareth: In the end, most things are personal opinion because we each view life from our own perspective. That is why I respect your right to voice your own, but I'm still happy you took the time to read what I've written. Personally, I loved the 50's, and many would agree with me that those were the best years America has ever known. And while it's true that management comes from the top, all of us still have the opportunity to make choices for our own lives...that's what is so great about living in America! Thanks for the read.
Artblack101: Well, I LIVED back then. My family was far from wealthy, in fact, my own parents came from extreme poverty and raised themselves up to middle class status. I didn't say life was easy back then, but it was good. I grew up in a time where we never locked our doors, took strangers in and everybody I knew had a mother AND a father. I never knew anybody (until I was in college) who took drugs, and there was only one person I knew who was an alcoholic. I had a huge family (as you can see in the photo)and my parents had tons of friends...and while I know there were problems back then, many people also lived as I lived. I was not sheltered. The life I lived was real...and it was very, very good.
Hi TIMETRAVELER2,
Thank you for taking my comment with dignity even if we do disagree, Gareth.
Very good hub to get people thinking about their own personal errors TIMETRAVELER2. With some of the comments it looks like it's getting people to think and possibly see their errors. To spotlight that time in history and compare it to today gives us a lot to think about.
My good old days were wonderful too TIMETRAVELER2. I was born in 1952. Back then families stayed together, the wage earner which was the man earned a living wage suitable to own a home and bring up a large family and the mother stayed at home to take care of the kids and home. The mother was the glue that kept the family happy and together. She played the major role in bringing up decent honest children. The stay at home mother was actually the back bone of our society and she was well loved and respected for it. It was a fun time to be alive.
By the late 60s and early 70s when I was entering the work force there were all kinds of jobs to be had. Where I am you could actually leave one job and find another the next day. The objective was to find the right job with a living wage you were willing to stay with until retirement and they were plentiful. And then get married, buy a home and start a family.
Then comes the feminist movement of the 70s. Which brings me to the only thing that I disagree with your hub about. After WWII women stopped the work force to allow the returning veterans to take their jobs and they got married to many of these veterans and started a family.
With the feminist movement of the 70s when women demanded equal rights in the work force that meant our society needed to supply close to twice as many jobs. With two wage earners in the family children were farmed out to grand parents or day care. Also with two wage earners the price of real estate increased dramatically. By the 80s real estate was spiraling out of control. From about 1984 to 1989, in only 5 years the price of real estate tripled basically ending the era of a one wage earner per family garnering a living wage. It took 35 years for real estate to triple before 1984. I know this because I know how much my father paid for his home. And my parents bought their home to live in and bring up a family, not for an investment or speculation.
I can imagine what I have just written is going to infuriate some but to realize the problems we are in today we have to take an honest look at history. We baby boomers do have a lot of blame to shoulder for the mess we are in. Not a very good legacy we are leaving for future generations.
We need to return to the one living wage earner per family era to correct this. We are not even sustaining our population levels without immigration. It takes about 3 children per family to sustain a population without relying on immigration. But people do not feel they can afford a family any more, let alone one with 3 or more children. Governments and corporations can play a major roll in returning us to that era if they are willing and if they hear from those that would like to return to the good old days. We basically created this mess ourselves and we need to accept our blame. And we can fix this mess if we are willing to voice our opinion to Governments and corporations.
Everyone has Good old days, it's why we all get a bit nostalgic when we get old, I am sure your parents said the same thing. Hell, I'm starting to say the same thing and I am only 38, I enjoy and miss the times I has growing up. My family may have had issues, as I am sure, despite your painting a pretty picture of it, yours did too. YOUR "Good old days are gone" but some kid out there is creating his own "Good old days" and believe it or not, you can still go to bed with unlocked doors if you live in a town the same size as the one you did back when you didn't lock your doors. Crime is based on the size of population vs the amount of poverty in that town. I live in New Mexico and also lived in parts of New York and when I lived in upstate NY I never locked my door but in the city I did. When live or stay in a smaller town in NM I don't have to lock my door but in the bigger city I do. Many families all over the world have "perfect" lives and many don't. Your good old days are gone, I am sorry, but there are still good days to be had.
I have always believed that we each have the right to our own opinions, even if they differ. It was kind of you to respond so elegantly. Thank you.
WOW...you should have written you own hub about this!! Great insights...thanks so much, and thanks for reading.
I hope you are right artblack01. By the way, I grew up in a big city...Pittsburgh, PA. However, that was way before your time and things were, indeed, different back then. My husband is from a small town in upstate NY, and we both have been to NM many times and love it there. I think it would be wonderful if people could learn to live together, trust each other and build better lives. Thanks for the follow up response.
I liked your article, though I did disagree with it I understand it and sympathize. It makes me appreciate life and the past as well as cope or adapt to the changes the future holds.
One of the reasons I wrote it was to get people thinking. Apparently, I've achieved that goal. I have told many people that I'm glad I'm not young anymore, and I mean that. At 38, you have many challenges ahead, and I wish you well.
Hi TIMETRAVELER2. If you are meaning that I should have written my own Hub I don't write Hubs anymore cause I haven't made a dime with HubPages since I became a member a few years ago, I lost my adsense account. But I do enjoy supporting and posting comments to good hubs that encourage people to think, like yours here. Actually I am hoping that someone confronts me on what I wrote so that I can expose the feminist movement for what it actually is. Most of these movements that sprung out of the 50s, 60s, and 70s are not as innocent as they have tried to make themselves out to be. They have duped a lot of people and are bent on the destruction of our society. Their roots are with communism. I hope you don't mind if I follow your hub and post additional comments when I feel the need? We may be able to return to the good old days if we expose what is behind these "innocent movements".
Hi Make Money: I'm sorry to hear you're not writing anymore because you are quite good at it and obviously have a great mind. Please feel free to follow away and comment as desired. If you become a fan, you will find some other thought provoking hubs you might like. I am interested to learn more about your views. And thanks for the kudos!
Life is a constant change, there will be another 'good old days' , when people learn to be sensitive to the needs of other beings and will act from a place beyond the self, the world where the universal laws will dictate balance and justice, equality, peace and compassion between all people. Utopia?
Beata Stasak: This is what we all hope for. Thank you for supporting my hubs.
Very good commentary and very true! I believe until say the last 20-30 years, most Americans had a christian worldview, whether they were practicing christians or not! This I believe largely explains the disintigration of society.
George Washington said that our Constitution and society could only flourish with a moral and religious poeples. He said this in his 1797 farewell address;
"Reason and experience both forbid us to expect that national morality can prevail in exclusion of religious principle…Of all the dispositions and habits which lead to political prosperity, religion and morality are indispensable supports.”
Great thoughts! I wish more people felt as you do...maybe then we wouldn't be in this mess. Thanks so much for reading.
That's a good hub. As one born during WW2, I think your analysis is inadequate. For one thing, I think the capitalist system is rigged by its underlying philosophies and the legal system to condone irresponsibility by corporations. But as regards individuals, I think your advice on right behavior and right relations is almost entirely right on. The good old days weren't all good and the future will likely be as imperfect as the present and the past. What's to do but to take it as it comes and do one's best to live up to one's ideals, such as expressed by your list.
B,. Leekley: I'm not quite sure about what you're saying regarding the irresponsibility of corporations with regards to this article. Could you give me some examples? I, too, was born during WW2, and I think the fact that my point of view is different than yours does not make it wrong...just different. Things are not all black and white! My point in this article was that the lack of a sense of responsibility on everybody's part, corporations included, is what is damaging us and that if we all don't make the necessary sacrifices to make things right, we are headed towards ruin. Thanks for reading.
Thanks for clarifying, Timetraveler2. I can find no fault with your point of view, and I am in substantial agreement with you. In coming months and years I will post hubs giving my points of view on these matters. I look forward to reading more of your thoughtful and thought-provoking hubs.
B. Leekley: I am interested in reading your upcoming hubs as well and plan to follow you starting today. Not all of my hubs are thought provoking, but every once in awhile I get an itch to write something serious! Thanks for reading.
billybuc Level 8 Commenter 4 months ago
Thought provoking article for sure; I can envision quite a few comments on this one. Thank you for sharing your thoughts.