The Good Old Days

I remember playing Kick the Can on a warm summer night and staying outside as late as bedtime.

I remember sitting at the table by myself until I finished my dinner.

I remember watching One Day at a Time on a tiny black and white television in our family room and thinking that Valerie Bertinelli was the most beautiful girl in the world.

I remember my chore of grooming our Llasa Apso and sitting there for at least a half an hour almost every day gently combing through her matted hair. I also remember walking said dog. Her name was Cream Puff.

I remember buying my first car.

I remember learning how to play Hotel California on the guitar and being deathly afraid of singing “it could be heaven or it could be hell” because of the ramifications of saying a cuss word.

Times have changed.

Fast forward 30 years (yes, I am dating myself) and now I sit and wonder what will the kids of today remember 30 years from now ….

Their first iPhone?

Their first MySpace page?

Their first sext message?

Their parents carting them from activity to activity?

Their defiance in eating anything nutritious and their parents’ willingness to agree?

Their sense of entitlement for their first car?

Each and every one of their incredibly amazing birthday parties?

Watching America’s Next Top Model on their very own color television in their very own room?

You can call me cynical. It’s OK. I’m realizing this about myself more and more as I grow older.

You can bet one thing kids of today WON’T remember is a trip to McDonald’s as a really special treat.