We did not have access to modern technological conveniences. Hardly anyone had cars for transportation, computers, smartphones, microwaves, televisions in every room or fast-food restaurants. Although these may seem essential today, their absence was, in fact, a benefit.
We drank cow’s milk, goat milk, ate homemade butter, ate eggs and sugar in homemade ice cream, but most were not overweight because we were outside. Life was slow, simple and balanced. Wellness was not a buzzword in the 1940s and 1950s, but it did not need to be. It was a way of life and “the way life was intended.”
Daily routines consisted of activities such as cooking, gardening, socializing, religious activities, spending time with family and exercising. These tasks were performed regularly by individuals, which is attributed to the physical as well as the mental well-being of our lives.
Today, we have significantly decreased the amount of time we spend outside, with family and church, devoting more time inside, by ourselves, to our technological devices, smart phones, gaming systems and learning morals from social media platforms. This lifestyle is linked to rising obesity, health problems, depression, drug addiction, suicide and mental deterioration of our society.
Researchers at The Commonwealth Fund have reported that America spends the most on health care, however, for that money we get the worst outcomes. Americans live the sickest lives and die the youngest, of all the high-income nations.
In the 1950s, processed foods were rare, and fast food had not yet become widespread. Our food was free from potentially harmful chemicals and artificial dyes. A typical family dinner often consisted of home-raised meat and chicken, garden vegetables, homemade desserts and seasonal fruit. This tradition of simple family meals fostered strong family connections and emphasized the importance of mutual love and support.
In my youth, I owned a Red Ryder BB gun, which represented a significant milestone. Its possession conveyed that my parents had placed their trust in me and entrusted me with serious responsibilities. This event held deeper significance beyond mere enjoyment.
As I evolved in this journey, I was given a 22-caliber rifle, and I hunted rabbits and squirrels after school. I would bring them home, where Poppa would prepare them, and my mother would cook them for supper. Fishing was also a notable activity, as I caught palm-sized catfish in ponds, which Poppa also prepared. These experiences taught me respect for animals, the life cycle and nature’s balance. I helped to support my family; these lessons are less common for children today.
My parents greatly influenced my views on marriage and family. My father shared how he was his own boss for only three days before marrying my mother just after turning 21. They were married until her passing at age 85 and his at age 89. I married a wonderful lady on my return from serving in the United States Marine Corps, in the jungles of Vietnam, in 1969, which lasted 54 years before she passed.
Today we observe the presence of resistance to morality, family values, life itself as well as the unborn, and love for one other, resulting in hostility and disorder, political assassinations, exhibited in front of our children in our homes, schools, on the streets and on technological platforms, which is affecting our children’s behavior.
Our past experiences are valuable as they shape our identity, influence behavior and guide decisions. We have the opportunity to restore the principles and values that made “America Great” but it starts with us. Freedom and Liberty are ideas worth striving for. I yearn for a society that aligns with our foundational principles, placing value in the creator instead of the creation, reflecting “the way life was intended.” Do you share this vision?
We must not fear the future lest we forget the past!
Jim Coonrod is a Marine Corps veteran and an avid gardener. He lives in Collinsville.