About The Past.......and Now

by Ricardo
(U.S.A.)

...was born back in "47", did not know it then, but about the beginning of the "boomers."

There have been a lot of words and phrases that have flowed into our world since then.

I lived in a major city back then, at least for the first six years of my life. We lived in what was called a "cold water flat", pretty common in that city at that time, I was a third generation American with still some deep roots to "the old country" as it was referred to.

There was my mother and father, and my two older brothers that all lived in that two bedroom "cold water flat." By that, I mean, we had a sink with cold water only...that was the only plumbing. There was a commode ONLY, down the hall that we shared with two other families!

I did not think to much about it at the time....never gave thought to a television, remote garage door opener, or central air. Our "central air" on a steamy summer nite in the city was to sleep on the fire escape or somehow get down to the "lake" for some relief.

Within that block or two was my world.....most all of my aunts and uncles lived within shouting distant, as well as my grandparents. What does a kid know...that WAS MY WORLD, and it was grand!

Always something to do with neighbors or relatives. Holidays, especially Christmas filled that "cold water flat" with many, many, friends and relatives....God knows how my parents who did not have much would cram as many people into their "house" as could fit....all were welcome, and somehow we all fit and had fun.

Mom baking, the men playing cards, and the kids chasing each other around the huge tree. We always picked the largest fresh tree that we could find, the ceilings were nine feet high, and we often had to "cut the tree" to fit.

I reflect in this post of the past....the simple times, no demands of having the best or latest technological "I pad" or 90 inch television, no worry about locking a door, or concern of carnage in the streets or in our schools....we were all safe in our homes, our neighborhoods,our schools and our houses of worship....no fear.... innocence, among our young and our old.....we did not know any better, and we were the better for it. Of late the world has stolen all of this from us......especially our young.....our futures......shame, shame, shame!

We cannot go back, yet in this upside down world in which we live......I often think back and cherish those times, and the "cold water flat."

SIGN UP: Retirement Insider