Remember When.....

I've been doing quite a bit of reminiscing lately. I'm sure much of the reason I seem to be spending so much time "in the past" is due to the project that seems to be consuming so much of my time these days. At any rate, I've been remembering things that seem to be forgotten in today's world. For example, do you remember when...
Hubingers (yes, back then Roquette America was Hubingers) had an 8 o'clock, noon and 4 o'clock whistle that could be heard all over town?
Main Street was two lanes with diagonal street parking?
Kids fished in the pond at Rand Park?
The Keokuk Saddle Club was almost out of town?
Keokuk Hamilton bridge was a skinny little toll bridge? (most will remember this...because it is fairly recent)
Lee County Sheriff threw candy (Tootsie Rolls, of course) at kids when he saw them on the streets? And he always had a big German Shepherd with him too.
Graham Hospital and St. Joe Hospital?
The OLD public library? And the NEW library?
J. C. Penney's on Main Street?
The Apex Discount store?
Fun family outings such as walking the railroad tracks, biking River Road to Sandusky, boating, swimming and skiing on the Mississippi? Family reunions, where even the adults played softball?




Well, New Year's Eve, we were invited to Rockhold's for food and games. We had a wonderful time, and I wish that I'd taken more pictures, but while we were playing, we had to laugh at how things have changed. First, when we were kids, on New Year's Eve we would likely have been at church for the Watchnight service, which included food, fellowship, fun and games, as well as a time of worship. In addition, back then we would NOT have been playing cards! Although my family was a bit more liberal in that area, there were many who wouldn't play a game with a deck of playing cards. Yet, here we are, playing Texas Hold'Em with even the preacher and his wife! We had to laugh about that.
Back then, there were so many things that a proper and refined person just did not say or discuss. Apparently, that's not so any more either!
Certainly, things have changed.
Good or bad? What do you say?