The Good and Not-so-Good About the Good-old-Days?
Some would say 1905, the year The Calling of Ella McFarland takes place, was the good-old-days.
Really?
Let’s consider …
Automobiles. See that hand crank? One false move, and it could break a man’s arm.
A far cry from today’s simple turn of a key, flip of a switch, even a voice command.
Child mortality. Children’s deaths occurred about 400 times more often in 1905 than today–a very good thing.
Weddings. Weddings in the good-ol-days were often simple–and grim–affairs.
Today? The more exuberant, the better. I’ll take exuberant over grim anyway.
The divorce rate. This unhappy statistic? About 5 times greater today than in the good-op-days Do we need to go back to simple and grim?
The number of divorces fell dramatically during the Great Depression. What does that tell us about the effect true hardship can have on marriages?
Communication: Would you rather carry around pen and ink bottle as folks did in the good-old-days?
Or a tablet or smart phone? 
Public facilities. Would you rather be directed to an outhouse?
Or a modern ladies’ or men’s room?
Foodstuffs. What would you think about baking your own bread … or have no bread at all?
And jam. Ever prepare the soil … plant the seed … tend the plants … harvest, clean, peel, slice and boil the fruit?
Stand over a boiling canning pot, remove the jars from scalding water, and put them away–backache or nay?
Creature Comforts. How about hand fans to replace air conditioning?
Ladies depended on hand fans in the good-ol’ days.
Home appliances. Want to use clothes pins–rain or shine? Neither would I.
So I’m thanking God I enjoy air conditioning, clothes dryers, sliced bread, and ladies’ rooms. And I’m singing a tune of gratitude that I’m not living in the days of my grandparents–the good-old-days
How ’bout you?
Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything,
in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Ephesians 5:19-20 (NIV)