Better days? Best years?

[knightfan26917]

These are no where near the best years of your life

^^^ That is a line from a recent Brad Paisley song, 'Letter To Me'. I could quote a bunch of other songs, since it is a theme that runs through many songs (country and rock and otherwise) and writings....

BUT, as I was listening to that Brad Paisley song the other day, it reminded me that the idea of "better days" and "the best years of one's life" have always made me wonder. Maybe I've never really understood the concept or the human nature of labeling what the "best years" or "better days" are, but it just seems to me that one can't really determine what those are ... until one's life has ended.

Sure, you can look back and say, 'Oh, those were better days' or 'Those were the best years of my life' or 'They don't make 'em like they used to' ... but why? After all ... imho, we should be living in TODAY ... and working to make TODAY be the "best", etc. Shouldn't we?

*pauses*

Course, I'm no where close to doing that all the time. I love to reminisce ... and I love historical things, old cars, old songs, old homes, etc. But, is nostalgia and historical knowledge/data the same as labeling "better days" or "the best years of one's life"...? I don't think so...but, maybe?

*shrugs*

Thoughts?

Cort:34swm."Mr Monte Carlo.Mr Road Trip".pig valve&pacemaker

WRMNshowcase.legos.HO.models.MCs.RTs.CHD = http://www.chevyasylum.com/cort

"I'm in no hurry" ... Citizen King ... 'Better Days'

[Camino LS6]

Today is looking a bit rough, so it's only natural to look forward or back for "better days".

[cletus8269]

i can see "things were a lot simpler then". freak the worst thing i could think of was oversleeping on saturday and missing all the good cartoons when i was growing up hehe

now there was a really good write up by one of the editors of hemmings muscle machines that generated a lot of letters. the guy was debating why old cars were in suck hot demand by the baby boomers. is it nostalgia? are they better in some way than cars now? how? creature comforts? A/C? the older cars are certainly something you can back out of the garage and work on. when you pop the hood people around are like sweet... pop a late model hood and be eveloped by the shiny plastic... thingy...

oddly enough a 50 something guy wrote in bashing the people his age for "hocking their money" on the old relics when newer cars (like his sts-v) were some much better on fuel and performance and comforts. i just turned 26 but my pride and joy is 13 years older than me. there is no car i would give my 69 impala up for. can that be called nostalgic even though i wasnt even thought of when the car was new? i guess so, i grew up in the back seat of the car until it was parked in 88. thats my input.

[knightfan26917]

i can see "things were a lot simpler then". freak the worst thing i could think of was oversleeping on saturday and missing all the good cartoons when i was growing up hehe

LOL!

We differ a bit on that Saturday morning routine . For me ... the worst thing was oversleeping on Saturday and NOT having time to wash (when I was young, that term was used loosely, of course) "my" '76 MC (it was my parents' car) in the morning....

And, interesting about why old cars are in hot demand by "baby boomers", etc. It certainly is personal preference.... Though I agree newer cars have "creature comforts" and better gas mileage, I'd rather be driving something older ... that costs less overall to drive, especially in insurance rates and payments (I have no car payments currently) .

Not sure if this fits in here or not, but a quote (writer unknown, unfortunately) I read on Thursday:

The worst thing that happens to you may be the best thing that ever happened to you if you don't let it get the best of you.

Cort:34swm."Mr Monte Carlo.Mr Road Trip".pig valve&pacemaker

WRMNshowcase.legos.HO.models.MCs.RTs.CHD = http://www.chevyasylum.com/cort

"When you slammed the front door shut, a lot of others opened up" ... Chris Daughtry ... 'Over You'

[Delta Force79]

Well I'm only going on 26 and I can safely say the best years of my life were quite some time ago

[A Horse With No Name]

The best years of my life have been the 23 since I met my wife...

Chris

[Robert Hall]

My best years in my life are the here and now and the future yet to come.... looking back too much and dwelling on the past isn't healthy, so I'm looking forward.... I've enjoyed each phase of my life so far (childhood in Ohio/PA, jr high & high school in Florida, college in Ohio, grad school hell in Michigan, 20s-30s professional growth era in Colorado, late 30s transition to Arizona that I'm starting now)..

I enjoy looking at old cars at car shows and occasionally driving my oldies, but I much prefer modern cars for daily use...

Edited March 21, 2008 by moltar

[zhawk]

The best year and best time of my life is right new. This, right now, is all any of really has for sure.

The past has helped us get here, but it is gone.

Tomorrow may never arrive.

So, for good or ill. This is what we have. I try to find a way to enjoy it. I have my family, friends, job, and things to entertain me.

Heck, even when I was deployed, I found ways to have fun. I looked forward to coming home and thought fondly about what I left behind and planned on coming back to, but I still found ways to have a good time.

The attitude is sometimes hard to hold on to. Especially when I start really hurting (long story) but hey, I am alive, and a smart @$$, so why not enjoy here and now?

[knightfan26917]

This, right now, is all any of really has for sure.

*nods*

Yes, indeed.

Sometimes, I wish more people understood that....

Cort:34swm."Mr Monte Carlo.Mr Road Trip".pig valve&pacemaker

WRMNshowcase.legos.HO.models.MCs.RTs.CHD = http://www.chevyasylum.com/cort

"I’m not afraid things won’t get better, but it feels like this has gone on forever" ... Toad The Wet Sprocket ... 'Good Intentions'

[zhawk]

I was in a play in high school that really brought it home for me. My character was one of the main characters but died.

It was a strange setup though. Each Act had three scenes set in a different cabin of a cruise ship. So what happened is that at the end of Act 1 everything went back in time to start in a new location for Act 2. The audience learned at the end of Act 1 that my character died. Then saw him again to begin Act 2. It made them see him in a different way.

It was during Act 2 that everyone learned that he had an incurable disease. His acceptance of what lay before him and his trying to help his wife come to terms with it are something that stay with me.

"We all live under the shadow of death. Anyone might fall down the stairs and break their neck. I just know its going to happen soon and it gives me a fresh outlook. Everyday is precious, everyday with you moreso."

Then after Act 2, scene 3 ended with him gone. He returned in Act 3, scene 1.

I am not sure why but that shaped an outlook for me. I may not always be perfectly happy and quite often I lose sight of what is important but I try to find a way to enjoy what I have, where I am, and who I lam with.

[Oracle of Delphi]

I was in a play in high school that really brought it home for me. My character was one of the main characters but died.

It was a strange setup though. Each Act had three scenes set in a different cabin of a cruise ship. So what happened is that at the end of Act 1 everything went back in time to start in a new location for Act 2. The audience learned at the end of Act 1 that my character died. Then saw him again to begin Act 2. It made them see him in a different way.

It was during Act 2 that everyone learned that he had an incurable disease. His acceptance of what lay before him and his trying to help his wife come to terms with it are something that stay with me.

"We all live under the shadow of death. Anyone might fall down the stairs and break their neck. I just know its going to happen soon and it gives me a fresh outlook. Everyday is precious, everyday with you moreso."

Then after Act 2, scene 3 ended with him gone. He returned in Act 3, scene 1.

I am not sure why but that shaped an outlook for me. I may not always be perfectly happy and quite often I lose sight of what is important but I try to find a way to enjoy what I have, where I am, and who I lam with.

I live every day like it may be my last. I learned this with my grandmother. I thought to myself one day if I were to die today would I have any regrets. One was my grandmother, I never spent much time with her, so I set about to change that, and spent time with her every time I was home. I got to know her and her life experiences, she was a wealth of information, on my family, things that have changed since she was a little girl, history of Texas, etc.

When my grandmother died, there were many people in my family that had many regrets about what they had done or failed to do when it came to her, but I had none of that, I had all those wonderful memories she left me.

[A Horse With No Name]

I learned this when my younger son was born a premie and was touch and go in the ICU. My wife put his photo up in the house with the logo "Carpe Diem" which means sieze the day.

Wish I could have known your grandmother, PCS.

Chris

[knightfan26917]

I am not sure why but that shaped an outlook for me. I may not always be perfectly happy and quite often I lose sight of what is important but I try to find a way to enjoy what I have, where I am, and who I lam with.

I think we all lose sight of what is important every now'n'then. I know I do. And, that really frustrates me when I do. I always think, 'OK, learned that lesson, won't let that happen again.' But, sadly enough, it always does....then I reel myself back in ... and realize anew what is really important, etc.

And, what play was that? Sounds cool....

Cort:34swm."Mr Monte Carlo.Mr Road Trip".pig valve&pacemaker

WRMNshowcase.legos.HO.models.MCs.RTs.CHD = http://www.chevyasylum.com/cort

"Something's haunting you" ... Marty Robbins ... 'Some Memories Just Won't Die'

[zhawk]

I think we all lose sight of what is important every now'n'then. I know I do. And, that really frustrates me when I do. I always think, 'OK, learned that lesson, won't let that happen again.' But, sadly enough, it always does....then I reel myself back in ... and realize anew what is really important, etc.

And, what play was that? Sounds cool....

I can't remember the name of the play. Hey, I graduated from high school in '86 and this was my junior year I do believe.

[Oracle of Delphi]

I can't remember the name of the play. Hey, I graduated from high school in '86 and this was my junior year I do believe.

Since you like big boobies ( see I read your post), you sure you weren't in the play Hair?

[zhawk]

Since you like big boobies ( see I read your post), you sure you weren't in the play Hair?

Nope, not that. Thank God.

[Oracle of Delphi]

Nope, not that. Thank God.

Shoot, I would have, I'm not that shy! :AH-HA_wink:

[knightfan26917]

I can't remember the name of the play. Hey, I graduated from high school in '86 and this was my junior year I do believe.

LOL!

No worries ... I was just curious. Sure sounds like a cool play, though.

(Hmm...I graduated HS in 1992...just a short 6 years later . Though, in '86, I was in 6th grade ... lol.)

Cort:34swm."Mr Monte Carlo.Mr Road Trip".pig valve&pacemaker

WRMNshowcase.legos.HO.models.MCs.RTs.CHD = http://www.chevyasylum.com/cort

"Can you believe what a year it's been?" ... Savage Garden ... 'I Don't Know You Anymore'