I am a great grandfather. In my youth families lived together and stayed together. Whether a person was cathlic, protestant, jew, the family life prospered and the kids had a home and were taught manners and morals regardless of the faith. I only knew of one divorced woman in our whole block. Everyone knew everyone else and whose kid was whose. On Monday mornings, all the women did their weekly washing and hung it on clothes lines in the back yard. That’s when all the news of the neighborhood was transmitted about everyone over the back fences.
Grandparents were also given a home with the family which also helped the younger children feel solid. There were few nusing homes, and these were sponsered by the nuns. Speaking of which we had a durth of nuns teaching in our schools. And if any catholic parent wanted to send their child to a non catholic school, they had to make an appointment with the pastor and explain the need, which in some cases was refused.
In school we had prayer every hour on the hour, short, but still prayer. We attending Mass everyday before school. Confessions were every morning during all Masses during the week.
Many people went to daily Mass, and if they couldn’t, then they would receive Communion which was given out every 10 minutes. On Saturdays, confessions were from 4-6 and 7-9 pm and there were lines of people waiting. First Fridays were busy days for the priests. The Protestant churchs were filled as well on Sundays. Church bells rang everywhere.
The Catholic Church had a rating system for all Movies. “C” was condemned and was considered a serious sin to watch. A “C” today would allow kids to see it, and that is no exageration.
I remember as a kid of hitchhiking everywhere. All kids did it and nothing was thought of it.
I could be alone on my bike at night on the street, and I wasn’t worried nor my parents.
It was a very different world, one which looking back upon I can scarcely believe. It was a disneyland of peace. Life was not easy but nice.
If I were to guess where it went, it would be the family breakdown, which then caused less vocations, which then caused less prayerful catholic schools and less discipline and faith in the home and less Sunday church. The simple beauty in life is in it’s sundown stage.
That’s why grandma was different, that is before she got run over by a reindeer.
Just a thought.
Jealousy