by RONNIE JOHNSON
Do you realize that we have become a nation of couch potatoes? A woman I know says her husband hasn’t been out of his Lazy Boy recliner in five years, not counting the times he had to get up to use the bathroom.
She brings his breakfast, dinner, and supper to his armrest while he watches the sports channel from morning to midnight.
Back in the day, people were rawboned, tough, and up to any challenge the world presented. You seldom saw a fat person because hard work in the cotton, corn, and tobacco fields kept the weight off. Everyone pulled his or her own weight. Food stamps and government assistance were unheard of. If a family fell on hard times, it was called “on the hog,” and concerned neighbors pitched in and gave them a sack of cornmeal or flour and a supply of meats and vegetables to tide them over.
It was always extremely hot or cold, nothing in between. There was no electric heat or central cooling as we have today.
We managed to keep ourselves cool by sitting out on the front porch to catch a stray breeze or sitting close to the fireplace to stay warm during winter.
There were no home break-ins because everyone seemed to have very little in their refrigerators and even less in valuable home assets. Everyone was on the same economic scale.
Back then, everyone was affected by the stagnant economy. No one escaped the nickel and dime economy. A nickel was valuable; it had worth, unlike today’s value. It would purchase a Nugrape soda or a pack of Tom’s peanuts. If you were lucky enough to purchase those items, you had better enjoy them because it might be a while before you got a nickel again.
Today, when I hear the local weatherman advising folks to stay out of 100º heat and to drink lots of fluids to stay hydrated, I am reminded that country people picked cotton, worked in tobacco fields, and gathered other crops in the same temperature that is considered dangerous for people today.
It is true we have become soft and spoiled by the conveniences we have today. Once, we could walk for miles over hot fields and cement surfaces, barefoot, and feel comfortable. Now, our hands and feet need soft gloves and warm socks. We also crave rich food and climate control central air and warm heat. We insist on computers to solve problems and instant messaging to stay in touch with our friends. We have lost touch with the natural use of our minds and bodies. The human race has risen to spectacular heights but failed to unexpected woes.
