The do’s and the don’ts, the rule book was pretty well defined, the rural and the country, those street savvy, those country wise, how the townies looked down on the country cousin, so unsophisticated, behind in the trends, from the backwater dear, what do you expect, they haven’t seen a barber in years, and they come to shop twice a year. The movement of people, the slide to the city, adoption of city life, neighbors, you get to know them, you form your community, usually same culture, ethnic or otherwise, a few bad experiences you hear about, the move to the ghetto, the commencement of a life, that builds barriers around you, well, she doesn’t look like us, he has strange ways, but at least there is safety in numbers.
Solomon was looking back, finding as point in time, what it was like to be a child, the expectations and the guidelines, the do’s and the don’t’s, had all that much changed. The gap of poverty was huge, insurmountable almost, women calling to the door, alms given, see you next week missus, the fear of crime, what you might read in a newspaper. TV time, never allowed to watch anything after 11, adult time, no exceptions, you don’t want to be bamboozling the heads, they will learn soon enough for themselves. Anyone encouraging a lapse into easy living, looked at, every negative influence looked down on.
That old pace of life, a pace so many long for now in this busy time. It wasn’t impossible, just a little planning. As for influences in our lives though, were we loosing that neighbor hood bit, as the new neighborhood was a long way from the street or road you lived on. Whatever the changes, God is the same all the time.
paddypicasso 