Photo © D. Paul Graham, “Jekyll Island Resort”, Jekyll Island, GA 2024

“Monday 5 Things”™ ….. Back in the Day …..

Arched by a canopy of massive oak trees, the long curvy driveway left no choice but to slow down and take in the splendor and history of the property. We could almost hear the names of Oglethorpe, Horton, DuBignon, Morgan, Aldridge, Crane, Rockefeller, Vanderbilt, Goodyear, and Pulitzer being whispered by the wind through the trees as it stirred the backlite Spanish moss in the late-day sun. Opened in 1888, its history includes the first condominium built in the US, the secret formation of the Federal Reserve, and the first transatlantic phone call between President Wilson in DC, Alexander Graham Bell in New York, Thomas Watson in San Francisco, and AT&T president Newton Vail at Jekyll Island Club. Following a windy dinner and breath-taking sunset down at The Wharf, we retired to the Alexander Lounge, where our bartender prepared martinis and bourbon. Wrapping ourselves in worn leather armchairs, we sipped our night caps while marveling at the austere portraits of the men and women back in the day. The weekend provided much needed time for us to decompress, reconnect, and slow down, all wrapped up in a bow of history and nostalgia from back in the day. And this morning’s M5T took form.

1. Imaginative walks.

Back in the day, we walked to school. Alone or with our friends. On any given walk, we could be bouncing weightless on the moon, stalking big game through jungles, or exploring in some foreign land as we meandered our way to and from school. I wonder what kids on buses think today.

2. Eye on the ball.

Back in the day, dodge ball was played outside at recess. Generations that followed us will never know that sting to a cheek if you took your eye off the ball. We drank from garden hoses, bounced on trampolines without nets, rode our bikes without helmets, didn’t wear sunscreen (ok I may still have this issue today), played hockey on the street (anyone who did, will understand… CAR!!!), we used bb guns, and “bumper jacked” city buses in the winter.

3. Walt, Fonzie, Steve, and Streetlights.

Back in the day, Sunday after dinner was the “Wonderful World of Disney”, Mondays were Happy Days with Richie and the Fonz, and at some point, over the week, if we finished our homework on time, was the “Six Million Dollar Man”, all watched as a family. Kids were the first “clickers” used by dads. Playing outside until the streetlights came on, and a chorus of moms calling our names to come in, took precedence over everything.

4. Food, kids, and friends.

Back in the day, we didn’t care about gluten, GMO’s, sugar, or dairy, and PB&J was the sandwich of choice at lunch. And that hyperactive kid? He or she was not ADD, ADHD, or any other acronym. They were being kids. Friends weren’t just on a screen. We called our friends to talk. On a telephone with a 14-foot chord attached to the phone in the kitchen.

5. Winning and losing.

Back in the day, there was real competition. We celebrated when we won, learned when we lost, and our best coaches taught us the difference between victory and defeat and how to be gracious either way.

Here’s to a week of realizing how the past from back in the day has shaped our lives.

2024 D. Paul Graham, all rights reserved.

M5T is now on South Magazine Digital ..… Read it here ….. https://www.southmag.com/category/health-and-wellness/

For over 12 years, D. Paul Graham has published “Monday 5 Things” ™, also known to readers as M5T.

You can reach Paul by email at dpg@imagegraham.com