We Had it Better (A Poem)
Image courtesy of Pixabay |
Our bullies remained
at school.
They weren’t blowing
up our phones late at night.
The 24/7 news cycle
didn’t yet exist
Giving us a chance to
process and reflect
Instead of being in a
constant state of media-inflicted fright.
We didn’t have
information at our fingertips
And library card
catalogs were far from convenient.
However, we could
trust our sources
Knowing the fact
checking wasn’t so lenient.
We could take chances
and make mistakes
Without embarrassments
being uploaded and immortalized.
Kids could be kids
Without total
strangers from halfway across the globe finding a reason to criticize.
Our celebrities were
famous because of their accomplishments.
Not just because of a goofy stunt or lack of clothes.
Our heroes could
remain our heroes
Because not every
minor indiscretion was exposed.
Schools remained
unlocked but were still safe
And teachers could
teach without worrying about politics.
If someone had
something to say, they said it to our face
Not from the safety of their laptop,
anonymously being a dick.
First dates were
scary but exciting
Not ruined by social
media searches and unrealistic expectations.
We had friends, not
followers
And understood the
importance of positive relations.
I know I look at the
past through rose-colored glasses
And probably don’t
remember everything down to the last correct letter.
But while today’s
generation has a lot of things we didn’t have.
I still think, in many ways, we had it better.
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