All over the news and media, all we see is tragedy – murder, corruption, oppression, etc.
People are led to believe that these are dire, trying times for us all. In reality, America has never been safer, and life – in my opinion – has never been better.
With all this talk about ‘Making America Great Again’, I think it’d be appropriate to imagine what it would be like if we actually did live in the past.
The most recent era is the one before the surge of technology: The 1990s.
The ‘90s were a simpler time. Internet and social media was yet to take over our lives. People did not spend the majority of their day looking down at a screen, but instead conversed with each other. Friends spent time at each other’s homes as opposed to online. There was no instant communication to know exactly where someone was or what they’re doing at the very moment. If we wanted to contact someone, we had to call their house phone.
People did not know that technology would one day consume their homes and lives. Nowadays, if one doesn’t have a Facebook account they’re considered an outcast. The internet has become an integral part of our culture, woven deep into everything we do.
If we were to go back another 100 years, we’d be in the 1890s: a time of cultural anxiety and political fervent. This was an era after the American and French Revolutions, where the people were really starting to fight for the equality of men. America's freedom over European rule allowed it to be the first nation of liberty - The New Nation - where any culture, religion, or beliefs were welcomed. With all the turmoil in European countries, the war to end all wars was soon to follow.
Living in this era was no cake walk. This was a time when work actually equaled manual labor. People actually had to sweat – and sweat they did as the air conditioner was not invented yet. One either had to work in the fields or perform a skilled labor in order to make ends meet.
Women on the other hand, did not have rights or even a voice for that matter. They lived a life of complete domesticity - dedicating their all to their husband and children. There was no life for them outside of the home. Also, forget about learning or even reading for that matter. That was considered a man’s right. Women were thought to live in a complete different sphere and world.
And do not think about getting sick, either. You can catch a cold and DIE. Modern medicine was still far away. Good luck having simple surgery or even getting a tooth pulled, as there was no anesthesia yet. Ouch!
If we go back another 100 years, we’d be in the 1790s. This era is similar to the aforementioned one, except EVEN WORSE. Culture was even less advanced and oppression was as widespread as ever. One was not even allowed to talk bad about their country or leader (there were actual laws prohibiting it) without being labeled a spy or traitor and being exiled or killed.
And good look trying to read or learn - that was a privilege of the wealthy. The only reason the poor were allowed to attempt reading was to learn the Bible and proper prayer.
The more we go back, the harder life becomes for people. Life expectancy drops like a straight arrow on a graph. The average global lifespan is 32 in the year 1800, for goodness sake.Towns were dirty; people were hungry, and survival was a priority.
In conclusion, try and be grateful for the time period you live in because IT'S AWESOME. We take the liberty available to us for granted. Our ancestors fought tirelessly so we could live in a country where we can say what we want and live how we choose.
Not to mention the luxury available to us all. Try having groceries delivered to your door or the countless hours of media entertainment in the palm of your hand in previous time periods.
We live in a time of excess. There is a plenitude of resources, and the ability to actually make something of yourself in life - something people of the past would (and did) kill for.
Enjoy modernity and enjoy life!
