By P.H. Cerniglia
I received an email from my grandfather; it was an ironic lamentation of times past in the guise of humor. A page full of cartoon depictions and things mentioned, like: “Remember when there was no need for filters on your television because prime-time shows were I Love Lucy, Lassie and Ozzie and Harriet?” There was no air-conditioning, just open windows; so when a child fell off his/her bike, every Mom in the neighborhood ran outside to make sure he/she was alright. Your teacher was Mrs. Logan or Mr. Harper, not Ms. Becky or Mr. Dan. Television was black and white, but all outdoors were in glorious color.
I have explained to my grandfather (anecdotally) that the “Good Old Days” are not gone. Many people’s ideas of what is good has changed.
My children still address adults by their last name, I dry clothes on the line whenever I can and our family still explores the glory of the outdoors and each other. I tell Grandpa the Good Old Days are not dead for us.
I point this out to ask what progress really is: Is progress technology that allows us to take vacations to the moon? Is it the multifunctional cell phone or the remote that controls every electronic device in your house? Or is progress something that is overlooked because of its simplicity?
My personal belief is that progress is something that improves the lives of many (moving forward in a direction that celebrates life). Homeschooling is progress: my children are learning how to succeed in a world that is laden with propped-up failures. They will be able to survive and lead in their adult lives because they are not sunken in the mire of the chaos that grabs at us daily. They can move forward (progress) in clarity because they are not blind to the pitfalls around them.
I know the place from which my Grandpa speaks. When he was a boy, much of his world was like our small pocket of purity. Neighbors were friendly and people at large, were respectful of others. Drugs and flesh were not flashing him every time he was in public. For many elders, the world has declined rapidly and is a scary place. The wars they fought and the hard times they endured don’t seem to have paid off.
While I understand my Grandpa, I have an interest in seeing what is good now and working creating more of it. The Good Old Days are as alive and well as we wish them to be. We are a force that defines the times in which we live.
I hope to glow with pride as an elder, telling stories to my grandchildren about how we kept worthwhile practices, behaviors and ideas alive. I intend to pass the torch to the future (my progeny). I will look back at the independence and strength of all the families worldwide, who endeavored to homeschool their children. I am a part of something big; I am connected to something which is very perfect in many ways. None of us called each other to this movement, we are self-determined and find our own way.
To me, this is progress. We are finding our own solutions and the Good Old Days are upon us. PHC
