WHEN I WAS YOUNG

I know this from experience.  I heard it from my father’s tongue.

Noting makes a person sound older than saying, “When I was young.”

You go through life thinking, I’ll never say those words, that’s what old people do.

Then you listen to yourself talking one day...and find it’s happened to you.

You try not to show it outwardly but your pride and ego are bruised

When you find yourself using words and phrases your father or grandfather used.

When I was young, you tell your children, people were kinder the world was not as hard.

Neighbors gathered and had fun together, there weren’t fences in every backyard.

When I was young we drove old cars...we didn’t have these outrageous gas prices

When I was young kids played outside...we didn’t have hand held devices.

Yes when I was young a blackberry was nothing more than a black berry.

And if you wanted to give someone the bird you bought them a canary.

When I was young we respected our elders and our hair was neatly combed

When I was young if you got in trouble at school then you got in trouble at home.

Could it be as we climb the ladder of life with changes around every rung

We’re just trying to hold on to a piece of the past when we say, ‘When I was young.’

Could it be we want our children and grandchildren to know they are lucky, they are blessed.

For all the world has set before them, for all that they possess.

Perhaps we’re just repeating what’s been handed down from family to family

And I am only echoing the same words my father said to me.

If that’s the case, sit back and smile, no need to feel high-strung

And await the day your children look at their children and say...I remember, when I was young.