Back in the Day

You know how they always say "Back in the day, blah, blah, blah...?" Well, does that mean it's now night? According to the Doomsday clock, we're sitting at two and one half minutes to midnight (global catastrophe), thanks to our new President. That's the second closest to midnight we've ever been.

But back in the day is an interesting idiom, and as I grow older, I'm growing fond of it, although I haven't used it myself yet. It means "at a time in the past that is remembered with fondness or nostalgia." I guess I implied back in the day in yesterday's post.

And back in the day could probably be a synonym of "the good old days."

But, again, we're pretty close to midnight, which makes me think a little about TTOTC, where "the author" is sitting a little past midnight, all alone by his warm little fire. Is there some symbolism implied in being alone past midnight? Sitting alone, past the toll of midnight, reminiscing about times and loved ones past...it feels lonely and not so lonely at the same time.  

It also reminds me of the story about Fred ("Ferd") and Angel, whose holding of hands was a sure sign of doom, in Forrest's Scrapbook (I forget which number). When it's midnight, the hands of a clock are together--they're "holding hands."

Here are the appropriately grim looking guys as they hold up the newest ticking of our global clock:

This special and somewhat disturbing clock made it's debut in June 1947 in The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists. BULLETin...hmmmm...

The last time we were this close to midnight was in 1953, when the US tested the Hydrogen bomb. 

So, in that sense, back in the day might not have exactly been the good old days. Hovering so close to global annihilation couldn't have been comforting.

But still, when it comes to memories, our human nature reflects back to the good times over the bad times. We have an inherent tendency to block out the hurtful or painful times. I guess that's the reasoning why women have a second baby, lol. 

Sometimes, life is a process. Another idiom people say is "You live, you learn." I think that's just another way of saying "Experience makes you wiser." But not just experience, if after failure, you repeat your mistakes. Only practicing what you've learned will actually make you wiser. 

Not literally. Lol. 

Anyway, those are my thoughts this morning as I prepare for a busy day.

And what's with the colors in Forrest's vignettes? Red, white and black predominate. Egypt seems to hold a little prominence. And black is the color of rebirth. 

Have a sweet Tuesday... smile a little, and spread kindness. Kindness trumps insults every time.