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Home  News Health is Wealth
HEALTH IS WEALTH Old School
Author: Todd Pequeen
Sometimes when I’m philosophizing I like to use the term "old America".
For me this period is roughly a decade and a half and indeed a small
slice of time. Which decades or for how long "old America" existed is
trivial, however the concept of that era intrigues me. It was a very
different culture then, a mind set with much less...want, and a place I
miss at times. I chose to leave many years ago because I knew my
happiness would fruit much more elsewhere.
Old America was a place where everyone rested on Sundays. Maybe not
rest as in a siesta rest, but when malls don’t exist and shops have a
closed sign hanging on the door instead of an open 24/7 sign, behavior
changes. I remember Sundays also being a family day. A day to play,
have fun, talk, and even adventure into the country for a few hours.
In old America the men seemed to be a bit tougher, capable,
well-rounded, or maybe it was just the benefit of street smarts coming
through. When a person needed a new roof on their house, a cement
driveway, or if they finally had the means for a summer deck addition
or a garage, a date would be set. With nothing but free food as a
motivator a bakers dozen of men would arrive early with whatever tools
they owned. The project would surely be complete by sundown. The entire
experience would be one of community, sweating and laughing, and a page
in the history books to be valued and remembered. Hard work with good
friends to benefit the family in need. It seems to me that back then
there were so many less rules, less hyper-insurance litigation
mentalities. I think survival and daily fears were more relevant to the
human condition back then. I never heard my classmates complain about
material wealth and I do remember most of us leaving for school and
then returning home with Mom at the front door smiling. Precious and
irreplaceable if you ask me. I wonder if little pep-talk notes in my
brown bag lunches were unique to "old America" too?
It is easy to
think of old America with rose colored glasses but I can definitely say
I learn my best lessons from my most difficult struggles. Yea, I had to
walk to school, for almost a mile, I’m not sure if most Quepolandia
readers understand notorious Buffalo, N.Y. winters. I can assure you
that a blizzard contains as much beauty as a clear spring day. Try to
enjoy it some time. The terrible inconvenience of having to get off the
couch to change the channel on the TV was not much of a burden compared
to having to go to the kitchen to answer the telephone. The only
telephone in the house....with a six foot cord, rotary dial, and all
the privacy in the world if the rest of the family was elsewhere. Two
cars in the double driveway with automatic garage door openers...yea
right! Old America was filled with all sorts of hardships. I remember
triple bunk beds in the only other bedroom of our family’s house. I had
to share everything with my sisters and come to think of it, I never
knew any different nor did I mind that much. I even got spanked when I
misbehaved and I’m very sure that I suffer no long term ill effects
from that style of parenting...it really wasn’t so bad. No doubt, Mom
and Dad decided what we ate, what we had to do, they were the parents,
we were the kids. No confusion there. The words teen obesity, daily
medications, and computer video game junkies did not exist.
Thirty-four years later I find myself living in a place more similar to
Old America than New America and I am thankful. Things may take a half
of day to accomplish and I don’t care. Going with the flow is the only
option because rarely does "the plan" go as planned. People around here
still have the time to have a spontaneous half an hour hello. Must of
us linger, most of us understand the flow. Try walking around Quepos on
Sunday. Much to my delight it appears people still like to take one day
off a week!
Author Todd Pequeen is a graduate of the N.Y. Institute of Massage
and Nationally Certified in Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork - USA. He
works independently here in Quepos area at First World Massage and can
be reached at 847-2010.
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