Remember When?

By Ken Anderson, themayberryguru@gmail.com

I was listening to country music the other night when I heard Alan Jackson singing "Remember When". As I listened to the lyrics, I could not help but think about all the "Remember When’s" that often creep into my thoughts.

Remember when childhood was a time of innocence and carefree days? Children did not spend their summer months at day care or participating in endless activities that left little free time. They didn't carry a heavy, burdensome backpack filled with electronic devices and other school supplies. And when they got to school, they never had to think about the possibility of school shooters. Expectations and pressures on our children are so high today that it leaves little time for just being a child.

Remember when using a telephone was a simple task? You did not carry it around with you everywhere. It was most likely hanging on your kitchen wall. We used our phone primarily to talk with friends and relatives, and long-distance calls were reserved for times when rates were lower. Robocalls and spam calls were unheard of. Phones did not consume every minute of our free time, and they were certainly never used for taking photos of everything we were doing.

Remember when going to the bank to do a transaction was also a simple task. I recall being greeted by name, handing over a deposit slip, and then getting a receipt. The entire transaction took less than five minutes to complete. I recently went to our bank to deposit a check. The teller told me to tap my debit card. When I told him I didn't have a debit card, he told me he would send me a text. I laughed and asked why he needed to send me a text when I was sitting right next to him. I told him I didn't have my phone with me. I then had to answer some security questions and finally give him my security pass number—all this to give them some of my money.

Remember when you went grocery shopping at a store that only sold groceries? Chances are, you knew the owner, and they waited on you personally. The selections were simple. If you wanted a box of Cheerios, you picked up a box with little thought. There are now at least 23 varieties of Cheerios. In all, there are now around 5000 different varieties of breakfast cereals, and today's supermarkets carry an average of 31,795 items.

In short, remember when life was much simpler? I sure do.