The house was very simple. It didn’t come with any appliances, and we really didn’t have the money to buy new appliances. It also didn’t have air conditioning, but the landlord let us use an old window unit. We had a 13 inch black and white television (with rabbit ears) that we didn’t use. The water heater was small, so Sue and I showered together to have enough warm water. We, just the two of us, loved that rented house on the side of the mountain.

I miss the time when life was simple. I miss the time when families ate together. I miss neighbors being neighborly, helping each other and actually talking to each other. I miss summer evenings outside with neighbors, and playing freeze tag. I miss gardens, flowers, and lawn chairs under the shade of a big old tree in the front yard.

I miss the times when the news was read and was not filled with one-sided personal opinions. I miss the time when police and military were honored and respected without reservation. I guess politicians have always been politicians, but their opinions were mostly kept to speeches we rarely heard. I miss the time when it was shameful to get rich on a tell-all book. I miss the time when authors actually wrote their own books.

We are powerless to make time stand still. Change is an unstoppable fact of life, but we can still treasure the memories of a slower, simpler time. Technology has brought us a world of good in so many ways, but it has come at a very steep price. We are more connected than ever before, but we are also more isolated.

I have never heard a senior talk about the old days with a lack of appreciation for the simple life they had or the hardships they were able to endure. Thankfulness is rooted in the simple and dies on the vine of greed.

Stan Means
Elder Source Senior Ministries
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