I Remember When!

I remember when It’s often said that middle-age is not so much a number but a state of mind. The way we carry and conduct ourselves can have an influence on how we feel and how others perceive us. What we say and what we do can either make us appear older than we are, about the right age, or younger than our years.
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Oh those were the Good Old Days!

Any man over 40 who finds himself uttering “I remember when” numerous times in every conversation, has surely arrived at middle-age. His state of mind is now one that habitually evokes memories of yesteryear. There’s nothing wrong with this per se, because…

We are our Memories

Our memories reinforce who we are and continually shape us by fortifying the following:

Every thought we have
Every piece of information we learn
Every skill we attain.

But any man on the soft side of middle age who ‘repeatedly’ begins sentences with the line “I remember when…”, will definitely come across as a lot older than his years, and perhaps a bit of a bore to those having to listen to him.

Worst case scenario, should he get stuck in the past, is that he could eventually evolve into a bitter, twisted old man if he’s not careful, a state of mind damaging to health and wellbeing.

Remembering the past is important but then so is living in the moment and preparing for the future. A balanced outlook is key. It’s a bad idea for a middle-aged man to constantly harp on about days of old should he want to avoid stagnating or ageing prematurely.

Look at life through the windshield, not the rear -view mirror ~ Byrd Baggett

It’s enjoyable remembering past events in life, especially when sharing with others who relate or show interest. It would be foolish to forget happy times and pleasant experiences. Alas, along with the good thoughts come bad, and every life lived will surely have episodes of each to a greater or lesser degree.

But our memories are powerful and can literally strengthen or weaken us depending on how we interpret and process them.

A fulfilling lifestyle cannot be achieved by only reminiscing about a previous time. For equilibrium we ought to acknowledge the past and plan for the future, but more importantly, we need to live in the present as best we can.

“Yesterday’s history, tomorrow’s a mystery, today is a gift. That is why it is called the present”.

Just for Fun

So to end this post on a light-hearted note, here’s a short-list of mixed memories that I recall from what now feels like a bygone age.

Evoking Recollections by – Remembering when

I remember when milk used to be delivered to the door in glass bottles by the Milkman. Other home deliveries included Coal by the Coalman, Bakery products by the Baker, and fizzy drinks by the Pop man.

I remember when cigarettes were promoted as something that was good for our health. In fact one ad went something like this; ‘8 out of 10 doctors prefer Craven A’ I also remember when cigarettes could be bought individually, and a pack of 20 cost just 11 old pennies (that’s under £0.20p in today’s money), back in the mid 1960s. Today they are over £7.00/pack

I remember when all televisions were black and white only. In fact, I can remember when most homes didn’t even have a TV. They were just too expensive for the working class family and so were refrigerators and other large household appliances that we take for granted nowadays.

I remember when women wouldn’t dream of downing pints of ale, smoke in public, blemish their skin with tacky tattoos, or fart in company.

I remember when we never had to pump our own fuel at petrol stations.

I remember when the UK was still using pounds, shillings, and pence.

I remember when parents could beat their kids and get away with it.

I remember when beer cost less than £1 a pint.

I remember when Elton John was a heterosexual balding pop singer.

I remember when there were more closet gays than closets.

I remember when home phones had party lines, meaning you had to share your land line with 1 or 2 others in the neighbourhood, and yes, you could eavesdrop on your neighbours calls if that floated your boat!

I remember when fat children were a rare sight. I also remember when the youngsters were outdoors more than indoors, playing kids games such as rounders, tiggy (also known as tig, tip, tick, tiggy, tag, dobby, it, and chasey), hopscotch, ginger knock and run, hide and seek, stuck in the mud, jump-rope & double dutch, marbles, conquers (seasonal), and red rover to name but a few.

I remember when no one had a computer, tablet, or mobile phone. NO ONE!

I remember when you could venture out after dark and not worry about getting stabbed to death by a gang of teenage Hoodies

I can remember all these things and much more, though I’m only 50 years old!