An ambiguous time really, the ‘good old days’…
If I were to ask my grandfather who is approaching 90 when the good old days were I imagine he would offer a very different answer to my 60 year old step-father or almost 40 year old aunt. So for starters are we talking about the generic good old days, or just yours?
I’m going to assume we’re referring to the romantic notion that the past was somehow a softer, kinder place in which troubles were less troublesome. Nonsense. All that says is that humans are nostalgic, sentimental and more likely to remember the good times – and why not? Who wants to reminisce about times of sadness, sickness or anger? The stories told around the fire are far more likely to be those of happiness, friendship, love and success… it is these stories we will boast of to our friends, tell our children and therefore these stories are the ones which live on. History belongs to the winners; it is they who decide how the day is remembered.
So, of course the good old days seem like a better time, where prices were reasonable, Politian’s were noble and children respected their elders (thanks Baz!). However, I’m willing to put money on the fact that when I am old it will be my turn to say the world was a better place in the days of my youth. I will have conveniently forgotten about the recession, wars and unneighbourly ways of society and instead look back at the time when I was young, healthy, carefree and relatively without responsibility fondly. I will. it’s human nature.
So, ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, as far as future you is concerned, these are the good old days – go and live them to the full!
A little bit of Katyness.... 
What a lovely message, you’re very right, these are most definitely are our good old days…I just wish they were a little less stressful! But as you say, we won’t remember that, we’ll only remember the fun we had.