Greetings from Iraq my fellow ATS crew. The present is going through many changes from what we all experienced years ago. Life as of now is just not good for anyone except for TPTB and those with unlimited wealth. With that said, there are some things that I miss from the past before entering the new century. I miss the gas prices that were around 1$ a gallon and the freedom I use to have(not like it was much) but when I think of today we don't have almost anything good from what we had all those years ago. We miss having affordable housing with a decent interest rate. We miss being out of debt from multiple payments and loans. We miss having friends that stood by you when money wasn't a factor in keeping a good relationship and other things that are nearly non-existent today. So ATS, if anyone wants to add anything to what they miss from the past like freedom of speech or good economics or anything now is your chance to reveal your truest desires so we can figure out how to bring back the old school to modern times.

Edit: Mods, feel free to add anything you miss as well.

[edit on 3-2-2010 by Stop-loss!]

I miss the feeling of doing things that were illegal and now are legal. It was so much fun breaking the law, now the thrill is gone.

Well, I'm only 27, but I miss the 20th century. I miss the pre-patriot act days. I miss being able to look around and feel good about where humanity was heading. I miss naively thinking that my friends would grow up one day soon and not act so foolish.

First of all, thanks for your service in Iraq. Stay safe.

Perhaps you've simply got a case of "When I was young in the good 'ole days?" You know, those stories your grandparents would tell that made you roll your eyes at how out of date they were.

I'm a school teacher, and recently found myself in a horrifying situation. I mentioned the cartoon characters the Smurfs as an example for a lesson, and was shocked to see that noone knew what a Smurf was! Talk about feeling old.....that did it for me.

As for the things I miss the most:

1. The feeling of absolute security when my Dad would take me to see my grannies goats. I was terrified of them, they loved to try and eat my clothes and hair, but whenever Dad held me to pet them I knew I was safe. I don't think I've felt that safe since.

2. Innocence of the world in general. I never used to worry about thieves, serial killers, or terrorists. Now every where I go I feel like I'm so suspicious I can't enjoy myself. For example, my sister-in-law and I went to see the movie PhoneBooth (I think that's the name, with colin ferrel). The theatre had a strict no bag policy. About ten minutes into the movie, a man comes in with a huge backpack, sits in our row (the theatre was empty). After a few more minutes, he stuffed the backpack under the seat in front of him and walked out. After he was gone for at least 15 minutes, it unnerved us enough to go find the management. Turns out he was just taking a LONG time in the bathroom....but that just goes to show how I've lost my innocence. Before 911, I wouldn't have paid that episode a bit of thought.

3. I miss hiking in the Smokies whenever the urge hit. Now, in the summers, there are many days that are flagged as dangerous to outdoor enthusiasts because of pollution levels. A real bummer.

4. I miss when toys were giganitc cardboard boxes that you could pretend were anything. How many times I traveled to Pluto, sailed the seven seas, hunted cowboys, or went on safari in my parents' old refrigerator box....

5. I miss the surety I used to have regarding my religious faith. I was one pious, devout, fundamentalist....believer. But I've been questioning those beliefs for a long time, and its painful. Sometimes I wish I could go back to just believing without rationalizing said belief.

6. I miss going to the book store with a five dollar bill and being able to buy at least one book and have change left over. Sigh.

I miss what I considered to a very positive and constructive improvement in race relations. A few years ago I moved from an almost exclusively white community to one which is very diverse. It was a fantastic move for my family. This is a community where race was simply not an issue and a lot more interesting.

I have begun to notice little things that tell me that those things are beginning to change. Things like a simple "how you doing" in the 7-11, to folks not opening doors for each other to a general decline in politeness and this is going both ways.

I lived in LA during the OJ trial and the tension was terrible. It was outright tension that I had not experienced since I grew up in NJ at the time of the Newark riots. While I don't see it getting that bad again, I am fearful that Obama's decline will be seen as a racial thing, which is ironic since he was supposed to be the first post racial president. The business with Van Jones, Rev Wright and what looks like will be the blow-up of Eric Holder will just add to the mix.

Just last week after the State of the Union speach I was watching a couple of focus groups on TV. 100% of the African Americans were almostly emotionally pro-Obama and you could read the body language in the room. It was not a positive thing.

I miss cheap ammo and the cost of firearms pre-Clinton.

I miss....
1. Music that made you feel good, itstill exists, it's just not the norm anymore.
2. I miss being excited because the future was going to be so much better.
3. I miss muscle cars.
4. I miss the sense of community that used to exist.
5. I miss common decency from people in public.
6. I miss t.v. that was family safe.
7. I miss the gulf being the way it was.
8. I miss people not being politically correct.
9. I miss silly community traditions that have been squashed due to others sensativities.
10. I miss holidays just being fun....not political, glossed over for made up new, exclusive ones, just fine traditions that meant something.

I miss traveling abroad..

I miss my hair. I miss good movies, I miss when the biggest deal in American politics, and World events was Clinton and the oval office scandal.



stay safe out in the sandbox.

I miss the sense of optimism and secutriy of people before the turn of the century. Nobody (or very few) people walked the streets wondering if some terrorist could be hiding a suicide bomb under their jacket, or if an airplane might smash into me. Maybe hearing a loud bang would be a car backfiring, when today the first things through my head are: gunshots or bombs. Or at the airport. Is that man kneeling on his mat pointed to Mecca going on my flight? Will he hijack it? I might be dead by tomorrow...

All these bad things seem to have enetered our heads, and are making us worry and untrusting. Kids can't do half the things they used to. Watch out for: strangers, kidnappers in vans, razor blades and poison in halloween candy, and people on the internet. Also, why would the government ever want to listen to my phone calls or internet activity?

Sigh... Times were simpler back then...