Simpler Times

First off, I'd like to apologize for taking so long to post. Things have been a little crazy.

My allergies are also acting up, and I just took a couple of  Benadryl which means that 1 of 2 things will probably happen. A) I fall asleep and don't get this done tonight or B) I start going loopy and say a bunch of random things and publish this before I have a chance to look it over.  I'll try and hang onto my sanity long enough to get this up tonight.

I spent the weekend with my dad's parents.  I haven't spent the night there in a while.  It was a fun weekend.  My grandpa and I went golfing yesterday, and then he had to referee a volleyball tournament yesterday evening, so I went and hung out with him there.  My great-grandma, grandma, and I all went to church together this morning.

My grandparents live in the middle of country.  It's relaxing but a total change of pace.  They still have a dial-up computer and a TV that doesn't work when the wind is blowing more than 10 mph.  Thank God there was still cell reception!

This morning, my great-grandma, grandma, and I got up and went to their little country church.  I hadn't been there in a very long time.  I totally forgot what it was like to be in a church where there were 13 people total... and 8 of them were family members.  I forgot what it was like to be in a church where there's not even a microphone for the preacher to speak in. Where there's no A/C and church gets canceled due to heat.  Where worship is a single person standing in the front of the church singing acapella.  Where everyone is rejoicing for the quarter inch of rain we got last night.  It was a refreshing change and it was kind of nice to get away to place where no one sweats the small stuff.

It got me thinking back to how much simpler things used to be.  Now, I've only lived 15.75 years on this earth, but talking to relatives, I've heard that things used to be much, much simpler.

In 1934, my great-grandfather was 16 and playing in a band in a restaurant when my 13 year old great-grandma walked in.  He took one look at her in her pink and white cowboy boots, looked her in the eye, and said "I'm gonna marry you one day, pretty lady."  They've been together ever since.

My grandmother and grandfather started dating when they were 12.  My grandpa said they had a jukebox in the cafeteria and everyday at lunch from 7th grade til they graduated, he and my grandma would dance cheek to cheek.

They weren't caught up in all the stupid drama we have now days.  People were true to their word.  I was talking to my great-grandma this weekend and she mentioned how she missed the days when a man's handshake was all you needed to know that he was going to do what he said.  Now, you can't even be sure that a signature in ink means something.

Along the same lines, as I was driving home today, I passed a middle school sign that instead of containing the intended virtue of the week, contained an extremely inappropriate word.  That started a conversation with my mom about how the past couple of generations have sort of gotten out of line.

I am extremely lucky.  Our school instills in you the need for respect.  We have a new football coach that demands the players call him sir.  Some think it's going to far or that it's "old school."  I think it's good.  I also remember having talks in basketball or softball where the coach sits you down and explains that any time you have the school name on your shirt, you MUST conduct yourself in a way that upholds the values of the school and that you are always representing and showing the school and community in a positive light.

This weekend just reminded me of a lot of things.  One of those being that, while yes, things used to be simpler, we are stuck in this world and in this time, and we can make it be whatever we want it to be. 

Last year, I made a decision to have no drama.  Guess what?  Last year was drama free!

 If you want to be caught up in all the gossip, drama, rumors, and other pointless things the world drags us in to, then go ahead.  Just know that that's not the only option. Unfortunatly, time travel is still not possible, but you can go back to simpler times just by your mind set.

As much as the times make the people, the people make the times.