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I can hear you now.

Here he goes again about the good old days.

True, but you need to know about what you speak. I certainly have a lot more days behind me than
ahead. The future is cloudy but the past is crystal clear.

You hear us seniors talk about how they are not teaching history in schools anymore. That’s not good. I loved history; it was the only subject that I made A’s on. In fairness however, there was a less history for me to learn than there is now.

The reason this subject comes to mind is I recently returned home from a 2,400 mile round trip to attend the wedding of a grandson in Louisiana. It was a great time and I enjoyed every minute.

I traveled alone. I know that Delta’s motto is ”Ready when you are”; but, I hadn’t taken a road trip recently, other than the hospital, since my wife showed signs of cancer two years ago. I needed it after losing her recently. Sitting behind the wheel of a car for 30 plus hours in a week will provide lots of thinking time.

In line with the title of this contribution, I thought back to the differences in what I saw opposed to the one his grandmother and I had nearly 60 years ago.

First, the furthest any attendee traveled to ours was 130 miles one way.

The bride’s maid at their nuptials lives 1,800 miles away in Las Vegas. Lord knows where others came from? The ceremony and reception was even a 70 mile drive one –way for the bride and groom.

I know there were less than 50 or 60 people at ours. Followed by cake and non- alcoholic punch in the Church basement. She was a Southern Baptist. There was lavish food and drink before and after theirs to more than I could count.
The first night of our honeymoon was lodging an hour’s drive from the Church.

Room for the night cost $6.00, hence the name Motel 6. My two nights at their hotel, costs me $511.58. That’s room and tax only, no restaurant charges.

His grandmother and I later drove through my old college campus and a few days visiting family before heading back to our newly rented home. This entire trip was less than 300 miles and was made with a car I borrowed from a cousin.

Thanks again Tom, my old Ford would not have made it.

This pales in comparison to grandson Brandon and new granddaughter Elise’s honeymoon in Italy and Greece. Having been there, they will see some beautiful sights.

The most significant or historical thing we saw on ours was the appearance of the Beatles on TV’s Ed Sullivan Show on Sunday night.
I think I blew a week’s salary on our wedding and honeymoon trip back in 1964.

That would have been $49.76 after taxes. I don’t think my feeble heart could take the total cost of their weekend event.
Someone told me the flowers for the bride maids alone was $420.00. I nearly bit off a corner of my champagne glass. But that’s the difference in 58 years. Anyway, parents foot the bill and grandparents don’t.

Besides, they are two sweet kids. I love all my grandsons and granddaughters.

Notice I do not add the “in-law”. I do not care for that tag. Whether born in or married in, once accepted, you are family.

God bless and have a great day.

A sage whose columns appear in many newspapers, William Rowell can be reached at blrowell@embarqmail.com