Life: The Past and The Present

Life used to be simple. Grocery was cheap. Gas was affordable. A person could borrow money. People lent a help hand. You could easily get government benefits. The funeral homes weren’t quite as busy. Take your foot off the brakes, let’s go for a ride.

Grocery stores used to be cheap. You could buy something for little or nothing. For instance, a loaf of bread was available for a few cents back in the day. But today, bread is the one of the most expensive things in the store. Many people may think I'm lying but some people make sandwiches in the store. I guess bread is just that expensive. Side joke.

Borrowing money was something people used to do without a second thought and tell the other person, “pay me back, when you can because I know you are having a hard time.” Today, people are getting killed over money. It could be five or ten dollars. Times may be hard but life is too short to kill somebody over money.

Money can be replaced; you only get one life. In some cases, it takes a while to replace money but if the other person knows that they weren’t willing to wait on the large amount and larger amount, then they should not have let that person borrow it. That’s right, I said it.

Lending a helping hand wasn’t hard back then. A person saw someone needed help doing something. “Hey, let me help you out.” Did it without a 2nd thought. But now, a person in need has to do something on their own because people walk right by them seeing them struggle with something but don’t offer to help. Sometimes, it can be a trick but most of the time its not.

It used to be easy to get government benefits. A woman could get food stamps and WIC for her child or children easily. But that woman knew the rules and did what she was supposed to do. God forgive me, these heifers today, I kept it clean, gap their legs open, having child after child, just to get more benefits. And have the audacity to brag about it. Thanks to them, there are single mothers out here with children that have to work multiple jobs to provide food and keep the bills paid.

Back in the day, you didn’t even need much of a disability to get social security. But now, you practically have to do gymnastics to get a check. Sarcastically, I say gymnastics, meaning cut flips (go through h*** and back). There are so many veterans out here being mistreated and homeless because they are disabled and cant get benefits. There are other people that have disabling conditions and cant get benefits.

Funeral homes rarely had funerals. A relative passed and that was it. Another relative may pass away a few months down the line. But now, people are dropping like flies. Some from illnesses, others from violence or freak accidents. One thing people don’t realize is: you don’t have to be old or sick to die.

Parents today are burying their children instead of the other way around. Its heart-breaking and sad. No parent would ever think there would come a day when that daughter or son would be laying in a casket right before their eyes. Some as infants; others as adults. Either way, it’s a painful feeling. I have experienced it first-hand. I lost my brother in 2017. As a sister, I know what it felt like but I don't know how it felt for my mother.

To conclude my story I say this: Life was once simple but that is the past. So, make memories and live each day like its your last.