Better Times?

I just finished reading a history of the Town of Henniker that spanned the years 1880-1979.

It was dry reading at various points, but it was cool to folllow the development of the town. Interesting perspectives, like when electricity was introduced; telephones - and later when they got away from switchboards; impressions of when cars first showed up on the scene.

The car thing was hilarious - no one was prepared for that, so it was like the wild west. No traffic signs or lights, no speed limits - apparently you took your life in your hands if you walked downtown.

Also amusing were the things people argued about. Some were against electricity. How bizarre. Not a lot of oppositon to telephones, though - people love to gossip.

I am glad I read it. Obviously in many ways there is a huge difference between life in 1880 and life in 2022. However, there is not a lot of difference in people. We evolve but we don't.

The last page of the book blew me away because the authors suddenly waxed philosophical. Dig:

"The past is a marvelous fantasy toy. We are able to revel in the thought of a sleigh ride or a husking bee - and forget the number of children who never saw their first birthday because of diseases we can now control. We sit in toasty warm homes waxing nostalgic for the old days - when plants sometimes froze in the kitchen. Most of us love happiness and dislike unpleasantness. Thus it is natural to dream of the good ol' days, but the ledger had its debits and credits as it does now."

I guess the lesson is to look back in time with eyes wide open. Although the past six years make it impossible to believe that these are better times.