The Good Old Days Include Now

Listening to “Good Old Days” by Macklemore and Kesha, the song presents a commonly-experienced story of spending our youth dreaming of the future. We spend it waiting to somehow “arrive” or “become,” only to look back later to realize that those were the “good old days.”  It inspires nostalgia, and often regret.

However, often overlooked is this part of the song:

 

Never thought we’d get old, maybe we’re still young
Maybe you always look back and think it was better than it was
Maybe these are the moments
Maybe I’ve been missin’ what it’s about
Been scared of the future, thinkin’ about the past
While missin’ out on now

 

In missing days gone by, we need to be careful not to miss out on the now. The lesson continues.

So often the now feels like not yet, or the now is full of things that are hard. How can the hard be part of the good?  I suppose it is up to each person to define that for themselves. “It’s funny now,” Cass or I will often say when talking about events of the past, remembering dangers laced with absurdity.  We look back, laugh, acknowledge the hard, the lessons learned, and appreciate the now, even as we navigate the current challenges.