Simple-Difficult Times
We've all heard the phrase: "Life was simpler back then." When it comes down to anything- history, family, community, human relations, working, technology, hobbies, etc.- no matter what the circumstances, it was just simpler, according to what seems to be just about everyone. The yearning for familiarity, routine and zero guesswork of expectations or consequences. The problem with this way of thinking is that is disregards the reality and fails to solve any problem, big or small, in your world or the world that surrounds us. Even worse, it's more likely than not an embellishment of what actually happened. I believe that people hold on to this thought because of familiarity. People take the past for granted especially if they never lived or traveled outside of a certain radius (which is normally the case).
Nostalgia has a funny way of bringing familiarity of what was considered "simpler." For example, if you watch an older TV show that was depicting current times (i.e. Leave It to Beaver, I Love Lucy, The Brady Bunch, The Jeffersons, The Cosby Show, Roseanne, etc.), the characters lead fairly basic lives. Even if there are social, economical and/or familial issues brought to light in the storylines, the everyday stress isn't there. You know the storylines....one of the kids decides to sneak out, and the parents catch him or her in the lie and there's a whole lessons learned. Or the wife is suspicious of her husbands secrecy.....until she finds out that he was just surprising her for their anniversary. There was no Internet, everyone could walk outside freely without worrying about child predators or terrorists and everyone sat down at 5:00 for dinner. The "glory days" were just like these TV shows- even if it didn't actually happen that way, people tend to roll the past into one giant memory. It doesn't matter if, in reality, history occurred- whether it was war, drafts, sexism, race tensions, etc etc- because it's out of the picture.
I recently did some outreach as part of my job in Newark, and I was riding with a former employee who once attended school there in 1967- during the riots. As we drove around different areas, he knew just about every landmark and the history behind them; every church, synagogue, monument, historical building and pivotal moments that have shaped Newark. He exclaimed that while the city still has pockets of "not-so-nice" areas, it's overall in much better condition than when he was attending school. However, it's getting scrubbed in a way that improves the images of those in power- as in, "Look! We have a Starbucks now so we can attract the young and impressionable moneymakers." He said that, despite crime and trouble that continues to plague the city, it's no longer "raw." There hasn't been any riots to reopen wounds of brutality, segregation, poverty and corruption. Now, it's about riding the gentrification wave, such as Hoboken and Jersey City experienced. It's no longer just simply a city; now, it has become a bargaining chip. The history and uniqueness of the city
As he continued to drive around, it became clear that he was becoming very nostalgic. He said, "Not a lot of people say it, but I love Newark!" He said it not for the history and landmarks, but for the memories it invoked. He could (and he did) talk on and on about the good and bad times, and they everything was just simpler. There were riots, yes, but he wasn't afraid. I suppose that for him and his parents, his education was more important than worrying about his surroundings. It was complicated by multiple options or considering all the "what-ifs." It was all he knew, and everything else is disregarded. After school, whatever twists and turns his life has taken him, he can look at the city and remember the glory days.
The takeaway with all of this is to remember that change is inevitable. We're a changing society, and to hold onto the past as a precious relic would be self-defeating. The problem is that nostalgia and past are used to invoke support for things that could hurt others. "We can't pedal backwards, only forwards." The knowledge we posses and gather from travel, reading and most importantly, communicating, lead us to a brighter future.
Nostalgia has a funny way of bringing familiarity of what was considered "simpler." For example, if you watch an older TV show that was depicting current times (i.e. Leave It to Beaver, I Love Lucy, The Brady Bunch, The Jeffersons, The Cosby Show, Roseanne, etc.), the characters lead fairly basic lives. Even if there are social, economical and/or familial issues brought to light in the storylines, the everyday stress isn't there. You know the storylines....one of the kids decides to sneak out, and the parents catch him or her in the lie and there's a whole lessons learned. Or the wife is suspicious of her husbands secrecy.....until she finds out that he was just surprising her for their anniversary. There was no Internet, everyone could walk outside freely without worrying about child predators or terrorists and everyone sat down at 5:00 for dinner. The "glory days" were just like these TV shows- even if it didn't actually happen that way, people tend to roll the past into one giant memory. It doesn't matter if, in reality, history occurred- whether it was war, drafts, sexism, race tensions, etc etc- because it's out of the picture.
I recently did some outreach as part of my job in Newark, and I was riding with a former employee who once attended school there in 1967- during the riots. As we drove around different areas, he knew just about every landmark and the history behind them; every church, synagogue, monument, historical building and pivotal moments that have shaped Newark. He exclaimed that while the city still has pockets of "not-so-nice" areas, it's overall in much better condition than when he was attending school. However, it's getting scrubbed in a way that improves the images of those in power- as in, "Look! We have a Starbucks now so we can attract the young and impressionable moneymakers." He said that, despite crime and trouble that continues to plague the city, it's no longer "raw." There hasn't been any riots to reopen wounds of brutality, segregation, poverty and corruption. Now, it's about riding the gentrification wave, such as Hoboken and Jersey City experienced. It's no longer just simply a city; now, it has become a bargaining chip. The history and uniqueness of the city
As he continued to drive around, it became clear that he was becoming very nostalgic. He said, "Not a lot of people say it, but I love Newark!" He said it not for the history and landmarks, but for the memories it invoked. He could (and he did) talk on and on about the good and bad times, and they everything was just simpler. There were riots, yes, but he wasn't afraid. I suppose that for him and his parents, his education was more important than worrying about his surroundings. It was complicated by multiple options or considering all the "what-ifs." It was all he knew, and everything else is disregarded. After school, whatever twists and turns his life has taken him, he can look at the city and remember the glory days.
The takeaway with all of this is to remember that change is inevitable. We're a changing society, and to hold onto the past as a precious relic would be self-defeating. The problem is that nostalgia and past are used to invoke support for things that could hurt others. "We can't pedal backwards, only forwards." The knowledge we posses and gather from travel, reading and most importantly, communicating, lead us to a brighter future.
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