Remember When?

As the oldest of six, I generally initiated a game called "Remember When?", which went something like, "Remember when I had to sign Tommy out of high school when he was suspended, and signed him back in two days later?" Or, "Remember when Jim got caught by Dad with pot in the oven?" Got it? Good!

So, let's play.

Remember when "the only thing to fear was fear itself" was a boost of morale? (1933)
Remember when "ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country" was a challenge? (1961)
Remember when we actually balanced a budget? (1962)
Remember when we supported the troops for real? (1953)
Remember when we tried to "Whip Inflation Now"? (1975)
Remember when "The buck stops here" was a statement of responsibility? (1946)
Remember when "Civis Romanus sum" and "Eich bin ein un Berliner" were declared? (1963)

No? Maybe more recent then.

Remember when we heard doctors say "We are all Republicans" even when they weren't? (1981)
Remember when this was declared: "Mr Gorbachev, tear down this wall"? (1987)
Remember when we looked at "the light on a hill"? (1988)
Remember when we heard "It's just sad, Larry" almost every night? (1992)
Remember when we tied that yellow ribbon on the tree in our yards? (1991)

Too far back, still? Ok. Let's try something a lot more recent, then.

Remember when "I did not have sexual relations with that woman" was sworn to and then retracted? (1998)
Remember when we read the sign on the aircraft carrier that said "Mission Accomplished" when it wasn't? (2003)
Remember when we had to go to war in Iraq to get the WMDs and none were ever found? (2002)
Remember when we almost didn't have an election? (2000)
Remember when we constantly heard it was "Bush's fault" even when it may not have been? (2009, 2010, 2011, 2012. 2013)
Remember when we "have to pass it to know what's in it", and then we would like it? (2010)
Remember when we learned it was a video that killed an American ambassador? (2012)
Remember when we learned that we were going to unilaterally cut our nuclear stockpile by 1/3 to make the world safe? (2013)

Yeah, well, I don't like the latest memories either. Let's instead remember a better time for America, taking the good from now, mixing it with the better past and work to make the best future. Then, maybe someday, we can say, "Remember when we took the negative aspects of the late 20th and early 21st Centuries, realized the error of our ways and tossed them out for something a whole lot better?"

I long for that day. And then, I won't have to "Remember When".