Give me the simple life
Remember when life was simpler?
I think of my mother and mother-in-law at home doing family chores. I recently had to iron a couple of white blouses and recalled those days with wonder. They had to do several at a time, often 10 or more for the men who went to work and children to school.
Today we have “permanent press,” which is never quite pressed enough or very permanent. Then they didn’t have a dishwasher to load up and had to prepare regular meals from scratch — no fast foods. I didn’t have a hamburger from a fast-food place until I was 18 years old. My husband flipped burgers next door to North Side High School for 50 cents’ worth of food for lunch and $2.50-per-week cash.
Those were the days! And yes, he knows how to save money.
Gasoline was maybe 20 cents per gallon, and few people drove new cars. I could go on but most of you know the story, having lived through the Depression and a couple of world wars.
I must confess I have trouble with my smartphone, as it’s much smarter than I am. I can answer it when it rings usually, and call out if I have to, but that’s about all. My daughter had to program it for me. We went to our granddaughter’s graduation recently, and my other two grandsons were both emailing while sitting there in the coliseum. I can do that if I have to, but it’s a pain in the neck for me.
Another task I’ve proudly mastered is checking myself out at the supermarket on the automatic machines they’ve set up. However, several times the assistant has come over to coach me after a misstep I made.
I love to write letters, as you can see, and have no trouble spelling or punctuating, but that’s about it. That’s enough, however, for me. I wouldn’t dare try to use some of the other. On the market.
I guess the olden days were not so awful, after all.
Ellie Shaw
Live consistently
Christian, if we want to be different from the world and make a difference in the world we must set the example (being in the world but not of the world). First and foremost, we must walk in the fear (awe and reverence) of the Lord. Second, what displeases God should displease us; we should try to not get entrapped by the things that displease God, keep them out of our mind and actions. So we must keep on guard what we watch, what we see, what we hear and what we speak to see if these things line up with the word of God.
Richard W. Burridge
Thanks for stopping
I’m writing to again thank the man who stopped his truck in the middle of St. Marys Avenue after I’d stepped off the curb and fell into the street in a heap. His demeanor and eye contact helped me do what was necessary. Finally, he said, “You didn’t really think I was going to hit you, did you?” I answered, “No, I didn’t.” He wouldn’t, he couldn’t. I want his name.
Marianne Place
