I Remember When

I grew up way back during the 1950s,
when things were much slower paced.
Kids rode bicycles and played outdoors
every day since staying inside was a waste.

There was no TV, certainly no video games,
nor computers available to occupy our time.
We read library books, listened to the radio.
Saturday mornings at the movies were sublime.

School was really hard. Students had to earn
their good grades without today’s grade inflation.
Teachers enforced strict classroom discipline,
were willing to punish you without hesitation.

People sat on their front porch and conversed
with their neighbors. Almost everyone’s door
went unlocked with no fear of any danger.
Today neighbors don’t act that way anymore.

Our country went to war in faraway Vietnam.
Many lives were disrupted; many were killed.
The war was a guerilla war that we couldn’t win.
Hopes that our leaders might learn went unfulfilled.

I used to run 10k races, play tennis all day, make
love all night. Today any one would nearly kill me!
I once could sleep ten hours at a time and wake up
limber and pain-free. I wasn’t always so old, you see.

I remember when my children were still young
and needed me. Back then, I protected and provided
for them, teaching them the important lessons in life.
Now I am hopelessly out of date, they’ve all decided.

Time was I had to wake up early and go to work daily.
Responsibilities had to be met or I might get fired.
For thirty years I worked hard trying to please my boss.
But no longer…thank goodness, now I’m happily retired.