What do we know?

“In the day we sweat it out in the streets of a runaway American dream

At night we ride through mansions of glory in suicide machines

Sprung from cages out on highway 9,

Chrome wheeled, fuel injected and steppin’ out over the line.”

Growing up was different for me and my friends in comparison with what my kids are experiencing. We didn’t have the ability to communicate outside our “‘hood” the way they do today---and if we met someone from a different city or state, the only way we kept in touch was by letter or long distance phone calls. Yes, “long distance” phone calls---something that is no longer part of our vernacular.

The other day I read online that freshman entering universities around the country have no idea what it was like without the Internet, gasoline under $2.00, or U.S. Presidents before Bill Clinton. So much has happened to change and mold today’s world that they  can only see the future and not really what was done to bring us where we are today. That’s pretty incredible thinking---and although a bit scary, it’s good that they are not dwelling on the past as they look to make America a better place for future generations. We have so much to look forward to.

But somewhere, deep inside who they are, there is the past that their Moms, Dads, Grandpas and Grandmother’s and past generations delivered to them. Creating a much better place and more opportunity than what they might have had without having their trails blazed for them.  It’s nice to think of the simpler times we adults experienced growing up, and we had similar dreams back, it just seems this generation has even bigger ones.

I can still remember when gas was well under 50 cents a gallon; when we went out on Friday and Saturday nights we cruised up and down Olive Street Road looking for friends, girls, and anyone who we could meet. It was fun, it was life as we knew it, it is completely different than what we know of today. I love those memories and they will never be forgotten---they are just not part of the America we live in any longer. At least in our town.

The photo above was taken at our annual 4^th of July parade; whereas this car was on the street well before I was born, it’s fun to think this is a model my Dad or Grandfather might have been driving in as they cruised the streets looking to meet up with friends.

Thanks for stopping by.