Bygone times

I am absolutely crazy about period movies, I hardly watch anything else historical dramas, biographies and lighter period pieces. At the moment I am watching the Forsyte Saga-in reality every life is a dramatic saga, even the most simple of lives.  I adore the great novels from the past centuries—be they Dickens, Tolstoy or Pasternak or many  other of the great authors, I can get lost in them. Not for the rich lifestyles, the affluence nor the splendor of the surroundings—but the underlying life stories and reflections of  the life of those times-the décor the furnishings and the milieu of the age. 

The ones with ordinary people in humble surroundings as well-not just the rich opulence, but the abject poverty  just as much catch my heart. To me-it seemed life was much harsher for many, yet there seemed to be more humanity, more heart-true more gossip as well. I am sure many people were immoral especially the rich and famous and the powerful, but in  my mind our age seems to be even more depraved to some degree -and accepted.  

Those days, people were measured,  courteous, respectful , measured, and honorable-especially in the higher circles. Even today we have class differences-this is nothing  new. Well, there is and always are the odd rogues, villains and swindlers and cheaters-as we today. Sure, certainly I have to admit that life was very hard and terrible  for many, especially the poor—children suffering, working in mines and  being exploited.  But for the middle and upper class life was good—which wasn`t a very large percentage of the population, most lived in terrible, horrendous conditions and in squalor.  

For the poor, their life was not valued at much, and that sense the world has improved much in that area of  life –but in many areas in the world has not improved at all-and people are suffering tremendously. Sadly-the world is not doing much ,yet  there is enough  on the planet of everything to care of the poor and the lost, if we don`t do anything the sin is ours because we know better.  And I do wonder  though life is easier if people are happier than they were then-though we have vacuum cleaners, washing machines and automobiles-and cures for many diseases. Are we more content, satisfied with our lives and more at peace?  I really don`t think so. 

As a child I played outside all summer-at times making mudpies or other strange endevours, the doors weren`t locked, people were not scared of being attacked or kidnapped. Everybody knew all the neighbours, I  walked to school everyday, I had many friends-we didn`t even have a phone for a long time, nor TV. Nobody ever bothered me - I was never molested or hurt in any way-my childhood and youth was great filled with wonderful memories. We didin`t have as many toys as today, but we were very happy to get that doll for Christmas, or a piece of cake on Sunday. When I listen to my mother and her childhood and youth-she had a wonderful life also and very happy one. Perhaps it is an individual thing-and we all get what we deserve.

I think the 21^st century with its technology has advanced us tremendously in numerous ways, but it has restricted us is many other ways –in our humanity. Maybe I am wrong, maybe I just look at the world in a different light, but I feel that though gaining  enormous advances in science, we have lost much of our  spiritual aspects. Many things that we used to value, respect dearly, have fallen by the wayside like—honor, loyalty, integrity and keeping promises. In my grandfathers time a handshake was enough to make a deal—a man`s word was sacrosanct. These days people lie, cheat and swindle people at every corner, and deceit prevails most often. Everybody is searching for something-mostly happiness, which is simply found within the heart. I also wonder that being more sophisticated, living in the modern world makes us better human beings-this is a big question.