Maybe it’s more common than I realize. I doubt it. Perhaps more people remember their early lives with a kind of unimaginable—at least by me—clarity.

I can remember times in my life before my seventh birthday, but the number of such is exceptionally small by comparison to those after that time.

I have vague visions of a relatively nice day around five years of age, when I was standing out on the yard of the home my father and mother were buying in what was, at the time, not-quite-rural Louisiana.

These days, the area is almost a suburb (if not so) of New Orleans, as I get it. I haven’t been anywhere near that part of the United States in many years.

It’s undoubtedly the case that the area in question had many problems. I think my siblings can attest to that fact in a way I cannot readily or properly fathom.

In my mind, it wasn’t quite an idyllic setting for my early childhood.

Here’s my wager. Even in the minds of my elder brothers and sister—were they to compare it to much of the country (in fact, I would argue, the World) of the present day—that locale in that era, would come off relatively tame in its failures and foibles.

To be fair, I haven’t asked any of them to comment in that regard, so maybe I would find this wasn’t the case.

That said, from my viewpoint, this is assuredly the case.

I was explaining the origins of the postal service to my son this morning; though not necessarily in some sort of precise way. He being a Moderate Autist, and living in a time when such services are far less meaningful than they were in the time of my childhood, really had (and largely still has) little understanding why such a thing was literally all but critical in times past.

In my comparatively short time on this Planet—to say nothing of the time of my not-too-long-departed mother and father—so very many such things have either become largely irrelevant, or completely passed into the mists of antiquity.

Arguing that such change is anything but inevitable would be silly. Furthermore, saying such shouldn’t be entirely expected and anticipated would be equally ridiculous.

And I should make it clear, I’m in no wise trying to do such things.

For as many such bygone customs and activities as I might name though, there are a scant few the which ought always remain among us.

I speak here of things like common courtesy, and reverence and remembrance of those who gave us life, and taught us truth and goodness.

I’m not much for modern music these days, and when I say that, you should be aware, your definition and mine where the term “modern” is concerned, are likely vastly different if you’re not over fifty years of age.

Years ago (in the early nineteen seventies), Sir Paul McCartney wrote a song which at least was used—if not written for—a James Bond movie. The song was called “Live and Let Die.”

I won’t quote it here, you can look the lyrics up yourself, if you want to.

What I took from the song was this.

The World is changing, and not nearly always in good ways.

We’ve come from a largely kinder, more gentle society, into one in which savagery and mercenary activities, are more commonly than anyone wishes to acknowledge, the “new normal.”

I’ll be the first to agree that even in times past, there was a level of barbarianism that existed—arguably flourished.

The difference is, in the modern day, it seems not being unruly, ungodly, and self-centered, is the exception, rather than the rule it found itself to be in times relatively long gone.

I asked a question on social media recently that was completely ignored. To be fair, I’ve few followers on the platform where I posed it. Nonetheless, I got not a single response to that query.

What was it? “Can innocence lost, be regained?” That was the essence of the conundrum.

I maintain this must be possible.

We have to be able to reclaim our former state.

Without that hope, mankind slides further and further down the grade, inching ever closer to the abyss.

In fact, not only must we be able to reclaim a childlike state, but it’s needful that we may pass such along to our progeny.

We all fail. We all fall down. If we deny either ourselves, or others the right to stand up again, what have we accomplished?

Don’t mistake what I’m saying for an attempt to relieve people of responsibility for their failures.

Humanity must shoulder culpability, and be willing and ready to atone for it.

The two ideas are markedly different.

The truth is, if we desire a World that looks anything like ideal, we must allow it to be so—even when it’s fallen far from that position in the course of time.

None of this means change must cease to be. I’m not indicating things can’t become even better than what they were in the past.

As well, you should understand I’m not making the case for a perfect history. Obviously, that’s not reality.

That said, we must constantly strive for a greater, more perfect tomorrow.

This seems to me to be lost on so very many.

I want to be clear on another point. I’m not putting this out there strictly for the consumption of others. Put plainly, it applies every bit as much for me as any other person.

Do you rue the current state of the World? Would you see a better tomorrow? If so, be someone who embodies what you wish to see. Want to do even more? Seek to guide others into equally good and honorable places.

As usual, here’s hoping things are going well for you. I hope you continue to see better, more fruitful, kinder, gentler, nicer days in time to come.