I love nature. Right now and forever more will live in the peaceful area of trees, green grass, land and beauty. But I grew up in a Chicago suburb and it was also pretty.
Cities have been crowded and noisy forever. I think where we grew up has a lot to do with cost, opportunity, beauty and peace. Not everyone wants a quiet, peaceful space! Some love all the culture and diversity and places to go in a city.
I am more of a peacelover but I like diversity too. I have that where I live.
In the 60s and 70s, where I lived, there was social strife and division...deep, deep between conservatives and peace loving liberals who were against the Nam war. It wasn't pretty. The lense of time often photographs life in the past in a more gentle picture than it truly was. I was neither a hippie nor a person who thought My Country Right or Wrong. I saw problems with both. I hated drugs. I still do.
Flower children got shot at by farmers in a particular college town. And those same flower children held streets and college buildings hostage and started bad riots. This was in the 70s in America, perhaps not in Canada. Division was off the charts. Hippies SPIT on veterans. My husband was a vet. Rabid Patriots beat up hippies, gays, etc. People of color we're seated in the backs of restaurants if they had white dates. I lived this myself. Peace? Respect,? Not ever in this country in all areas. The KKK thrived in some areas. It's less now, but the KKK is still in certain states.
And of course there were still rural areas that chose to stay out of the mayhem. Wish I had been there. I was caught in between social bickering in which I didn't agree with either side and would have liked to have not been in it's hub. Ah....the lack of this social strife in the country!
Now I think the politicians were saner. That's my opinion. Even Richard Nixon sounds pretty sane compared to now. We had compromise. The parties worked together to try to do good. It didn't always work, but the parties did not act like robots to their leaders. I particularly thought Reagan and Clinton did great jobs for our financial good. Not just the rich. Reagan helped end the Cold War. A good man. in my opinion of course. One I did not appreciate until after he was not President.
I realize not everyone feels this way, but....Trump to me is what is making us go down in 2018 as a people who respect one another, but I try to ignore the news. Lots of bigotry now due to him in my opinion. I could be way wrong here. I also think talk radio, in which both sides hate on certain groups of people yet can muster thousands of cheerleaders, is a humungous step backwards in every way. I think such talk should be banned but we have a 2nd amendment and bigots of all stripes may speak. They speak more now than in the 70s. Again, just my perspective but the hate on all sides is worse than before it started.
In all, there were really good things and really bad things and neutral things about every generation. I feel grateful that I never pined for the past. I look forward to the future. I enjoy the now. It is good, bad and ugly. But it is, in general, mostly steps forward for those who are underdogs. I don't think Mexicans will ever go back and I hope I am right.
Particular people may have had a blast in, say, 1971. That was a great, fun year for me.
But that doesn't mean that 1971 was better for most people.
I am NOT old fashion and do accept each change as it is. I cherish what every generation teaches us, the good, the bad and the ugly.
With that I will step off the soap box and enjoy the peace and quiet of now. And realize that now is not perfect but we have come a long way.