The Good Ol' Days

Ah, the “good ol’ days”! A time when life felt like it moved at a leisurely pace, mostly because, let’s be honest, we weren’t the ones paying the bills or worrying about adulting. Growing up in the 90s and early 2000s, life seemed a lot simpler. No one was glued to their phones (because, you know, they were either massive bricks or didn’t exist), and social media was just an AIM away. Information wasn’t coming at you at 100 mph like it does today – in fact, the closest thing to an information overload was trying to decide which movie to rent at Blockbuster on a Friday night. Ah, Blockbuster, that glorious relic of our past.

Remember the thrill of hoping there was still a copy of the latest release on the shelf? You’d walk in with all the hope in the world, only to see an empty space where The Matrix or Titanic used to sit. Crushing, but character-building, right? And let’s not forget the true joy of the weekend – a personal pan pizza from Pizza Hut. Nothing quite screamed, "I’m ready for two days of bliss!" like greasy fingers and a VHS you had to rewind before returning. Simpler times, indeed.

Of course, nostalgia can be deceiving. Life wasn’t necessarily easier – we just didn’t have to worry about things like bills, rent, or the constant barrage of emails and notifications. We were living in a sweet bubble, where the most pressing concern was making sure you didn’t forget your Blockbuster card at home. But still, there’s something about those times that makes you want to go back, at least for a little while, before reality and responsibility set in.

At the end of the day, life is constantly evolving, and so are we. There’s beauty in the memories of the past, but also in embracing the chaos of the present. After all, as Ecclesiastes 7:10 reminds us, “Do not say, ‘Why were the old days better than these?’ For it is not wise to ask such questions.” So, while we may yearn for those Blockbuster days, let’s not forget to appreciate the blessings of today – even if that means streaming a movie in our pajamas while dodging emails.