Things will never be the same

 Today is Father's day, and also Juneteenth. The Independence Day for not only former slaves, but for all Americans to be free and have rights to what all Americans should have. Which sometimes does not always work out that way. But as we all get older, we reflect back to the "Good old days" which we believe were the best years of our lives. But if you are old enough to remember some things from your youth, that may not be so good.

If you're about my age (75), you'll remember Air Raid warnings and the Civil Defense and the threat of Russia invading us. Kids would duck under the school desks or being briskly herded into a Fallout shelter. Or maybe you'll remember the assassinations of our president, his brother and a civil rights leader, or the spitting on Vietnam vets coming home and being called 'baby killers'.  Those were only SOME of the dark days in our history.

As children growing up, we probably did not recognize those events at the time. The 'good times' were playing outside until the sun sat behind the homes or trees on your street . Drink water out of your or neighbors garden hose, or going to the convenience store (like a Circle K or a Pony Keg in the midwest) and buying penny candy with your rowdy friends laughing and joking as you stuff as many pieces of bubble gum in your mouth and blowing the biggest bubble in the world. Maybe you'll remember swimming with your pals in a pond or a canal, or catching frogs, or sleeping under the stars under one of you mother's old quilts in someone's backyard and roaming the neighborhood way up into the night. Or maybe even playing stick ball or football in the street around parked cars until a car wanted to drive through. Riding your bike and delivering the morning newspaper to your neighbors. Going to a school dance to seek out that special girl or boy you have a crush on.

All memories (and times) that were good and bad. I like you reminisce through all I have seen, heard and done. But I realized that I can never relive those times ever again. Some people live in the past and try to relive those 'good old days' through their children. I believe that is wrong. Those children will have their own good times, along with some bad times, whether it is the loss of a mother or father, a good friend or someone they love dearly.

Time is always moving forward. It does not go into reverse. It does repeat itself. maybe sometimes it seems to repeat itself, but actually it is only similar. From the past we learn what NOT to do in the future. Historians write the history and will interpret it as they see it. We are our own historians of our past.

This may sound really philosophical and it probably is but I believe God and myself work on what happens to me in the future, and the past is already written somewhere, if not in our heads.

As the late Jim Croce sang, "IF I COULD ONLY PUT TIME IN A BOTTLE ...". Save those memories and let them be a lesson for the future. Take care.