Image hosted by Photobucket.com
Random thoughts of a Tennessee fan on life, sports and more TV shows than any one person should be allowed to watch.
About me
Name: Michael
Location: Nashville, TN
E-mail me!

View My Complete Profile
100 Things About Me
My Facebook Profile
My Wish List
Syndicate Big Orange Michael


Also For Your Reading Pleasure For Your Listening Pleasure (Podcasts)
Slice of SciFi
PodCulture
Two Insane Fans: The Statler and Waldorf of Doctor Who commentaries

Archives
04/01/2004 - 05/01/2004
05/01/2004 - 06/01/2004
06/01/2004 - 07/01/2004
07/01/2004 - 08/01/2004
08/01/2004 - 09/01/2004
09/01/2004 - 10/01/2004
10/01/2004 - 11/01/2004
11/01/2004 - 12/01/2004
12/01/2004 - 01/01/2005
01/01/2005 - 02/01/2005
02/01/2005 - 03/01/2005
03/01/2005 - 04/01/2005
04/01/2005 - 05/01/2005
05/01/2005 - 06/01/2005
06/01/2005 - 07/01/2005
07/01/2005 - 08/01/2005
08/01/2005 - 09/01/2005
09/01/2005 - 10/01/2005
10/01/2005 - 11/01/2005
11/01/2005 - 12/01/2005
12/01/2005 - 01/01/2006
01/01/2006 - 02/01/2006
02/01/2006 - 03/01/2006
03/01/2006 - 04/01/2006
04/01/2006 - 05/01/2006
05/01/2006 - 06/01/2006
06/01/2006 - 07/01/2006
07/01/2006 - 08/01/2006
08/01/2006 - 09/01/2006
09/01/2006 - 10/01/2006
10/01/2006 - 11/01/2006
11/01/2006 - 12/01/2006
12/01/2006 - 01/01/2007
01/01/2007 - 02/01/2007
02/01/2007 - 03/01/2007
03/01/2007 - 04/01/2007
04/01/2007 - 05/01/2007
05/01/2007 - 06/01/2007
06/01/2007 - 07/01/2007
07/01/2007 - 08/01/2007
08/01/2007 - 09/01/2007
09/01/2007 - 10/01/2007
10/01/2007 - 11/01/2007
11/01/2007 - 12/01/2007
12/01/2007 - 01/01/2008
01/01/2008 - 02/01/2008
02/01/2008 - 03/01/2008
03/01/2008 - 04/01/2008
04/01/2008 - 05/01/2008
05/01/2008 - 06/01/2008
06/01/2008 - 07/01/2008
07/01/2008 - 08/01/2008
08/01/2008 - 09/01/2008
09/01/2008 - 10/01/2008
10/01/2008 - 11/01/2008
11/01/2008 - 12/01/2008
12/01/2008 - 01/01/2009
01/01/2009 - 02/01/2009
02/01/2009 - 03/01/2009
03/01/2009 - 04/01/2009
04/01/2009 - 05/01/2009
05/01/2009 - 06/01/2009
06/01/2009 - 07/01/2009
07/01/2009 - 08/01/2009
08/01/2009 - 09/01/2009
09/01/2009 - 10/01/2009
10/01/2009 - 11/01/2009
11/01/2009 - 12/01/2009
12/01/2009 - 01/01/2010
01/01/2010 - 02/01/2010
02/01/2010 - 03/01/2010
03/01/2010 - 04/01/2010
04/01/2010 - 05/01/2010
05/01/2010 - 06/01/2010
06/01/2010 - 07/01/2010
07/01/2010 - 08/01/2010
08/01/2010 - 09/01/2010
09/01/2010 - 10/01/2010
10/01/2010 - 11/01/2010
11/01/2010 - 12/01/2010
12/01/2010 - 01/01/2011
01/01/2011 - 02/01/2011
02/01/2011 - 03/01/2011
03/01/2011 - 04/01/2011
04/01/2011 - 05/01/2011
05/01/2011 - 06/01/2011
06/01/2011 - 07/01/2011
07/01/2011 - 08/01/2011
08/01/2011 - 09/01/2011
09/01/2011 - 10/01/2011
10/01/2011 - 11/01/2011
11/01/2011 - 12/01/2011
12/01/2011 - 01/01/2012
01/01/2012 - 02/01/2012
02/01/2012 - 03/01/2012
03/01/2012 - 04/01/2012
04/01/2012 - 05/01/2012
05/01/2012 - 06/01/2012
06/01/2012 - 07/01/2012
07/01/2012 - 08/01/2012
08/01/2012 - 09/01/2012
09/01/2012 - 10/01/2012
08/01/2013 - 09/01/2013
10/01/2017 - 11/01/2017
11/01/2017 - 12/01/2017
09/01/2022 - 10/01/2022
10/01/2022 - 11/01/2022
11/01/2022 - 12/01/2022


Friday, February 25, 2005
The Good Old Days
"Those were the good old days..those were the good old days. The years go by by the memory fades, but those were the good old days."
--Weird Al, "The Good Old Days."

When I was in the eighth grade, one of the projects I worked on was one that looked at the history and genelogy of my family. (Which at the time I thought would be an easy A I had my Uncle Wallace was fascinated by genelogy and had researched and compiled a genelogy of my mother's side of the family back to the Mayflower)

One aspect of the project was to interview your grandparents, which at the time I was fortunate enough to have a full compliment of grandparents around and able to assist me with this. Because we lived in California at the time and my grandparents lived in Tennessee and Virginia, I mailed the series of questions to them for them to fill out at their leisure and send back to me. I figured I'd get more information and memories if they had time to think about the answers--plus long distance wasn't five cents a minute back in those days.

As the weeks passed and the due date loomed, I got anxious for the questions and answers to come back. Finally they did and I was eager to see what my grandparents had said.

Let me just tell you, the answers were eye-opening. Every one of my grandparents obviously put a lot of time and thought into these answers. And all the answers are in their own handwriting and when I read them I can hear my grandparents talking. The project is one of the few from my school years I've kept and it's extremely valuable to me.

As much as I was stunned and amazed by all the answers I got, it was the ones from my mother's father, my Granddaddy that have really stuck with me. Granddaddy was in the U.S. Army and he fought in World War 2. He was also in the Army for years after the way, including time station in Germany and Paraguay (I love to hear the stories about my mom living in Paraguay from my grandparents). However, he never really talked much about his time fighting. But this interview he went into some stories about the experience that my mother hadn't even heard about--including a time when a buddy not more than fifty paces away was killed by a land mine. Reading that, I can see why it's not exactly something you want to discuss and it also helps make sense of why Granddaddy doesn't like to watch movies about World War 2 combat.

Another one of the questions on the sheet was "To you, what were the 'good old days'?

The answer Granddaddy gave was so profound that it's stuck with me today. He said, "The good old days are now, every day. The past had its good and bad, but these are the good old days spent with my wife, my daughter and her husband and my grandchildren."

Those words have really stuck with me over the years. It's easy in life for us to fondly remember the past or look for a better future or tomorrow and miss the wonder and excitment that is today. A couple of months ago, Barry posted a great piece on how tomorrow is only 24 hours away...and as I read it, I heard the sentiment and thought Granddaddy was saying echoed in Barry's words.

There's a song I like called "Lend Me A Sunrise" The chorus goes, "Lord, lend me a sunrise and I'll gvie it back to you when the day is done. Lord, lend me a sunrise. I want to live one day at a time."

You know, I'm as guilty as the next person of not making the good old days today. I look to the future saying, "Oh, things will be better when..." Like when I was out of work and I just knew life would get better the minute I found the right job. Or looking back at the past. To use the age old adage of all Star Trek fans, "It's just not as good as it used to be." But in doing that, I miss the wonder of today..and today is really the only thing I have. I need to listen to the widsom of Granddaddy more and live each day, enjoying it, savoring it, being thankful for it. Now that doesn't mean every day is gonna be wonderful. We're all gonna have an off-day from time to time. But I prefer to think and hope that today is going to be a good day. It may not be particularily memorable in the grand scheme of things (if you've ever read the play Our Town, you remember that they won't go back to a hugely memorable day, but just to an ordinary one because even an average day is full of such wonder) but it can still be a "good old day." Every day has that potential--it's just whether or not we choose to see that potential and take advantage of it.

So, my challenge to you and to me is to take the advice of my grandfather. Go out and make today one of the "good old days."

posted by Michael Hickerson at 2/25/2005 08:24:00 AM | |
Comments: Post a Comment


Follow me on Twitter!




    Follow me on Twitter!


    Recent Comments
    Awards


    Web Sites I Visit
    CrossWalk.com
    Daily News Journal
    Doctor Who News
    Go Vols
    Go Titans
    The Tennessean
    The Tennessean's Titans Coverage
    Trek Today
    TV Guide On-Line
    Washington Post Redskins Coverage
    USA Today


    Favorite Authors on the Web
    Orson Scott Card
    Peter David's Blog
    Keith R.A. DeCandido's Blog
    Neil Gaiman
    Elizabeth George
    Philip Gulley
    Stephen King
    Donald Miller
    Lisa Samson's Blog
    Robert Whitlow

    Musical Links
    Carolyn Arends
    Sherrie Austin
    Cherryholmes
    Lee Domann
    Fleming & John
    Sara Groves
    Jennifer Knapp
    Jars of Clay
    Carolyn Dawn Johnson
    Cindy Morgan
    The Monkees
    Nickel Creek
    Nothin' Fancy
    Rebecca St. JamesRay Stevens
    Steep Canyon Rangers
    Williams and Clark Expedition
    Rhonda Vincent and the Rage
    Jaci Velasquez

    Blogging Links

    Powered by Blogger Weblog Commenting and Trackback by HaloScan.com Listed on Blogwise
    << ? Blogaholics Anonymous # >>

    My Blog Chalk

    Michael/Male/31-35. Lives in United States/Tennessee/Smyrna, speaks English. Eye color is brown. I am in shape. I am also creative. My interests are Reading/Swimming laps.
    This is my blogchalk:
    United States, Tennessee, Smyrna, English, Michael, Male, 31-35, Reading, Swimming laps.



    You Are Visitor

    Free Web Counter


    Looking For Something Specific?
    Search this site or the web powered by FreeFind

    Site search Web search


    Blogskins
    Powered by Blogger