I sometimes I think I am in an alternate reality. I remember when Presidents were gentlemen, respectful, and not narcissistic. I remember when the Republicans would go pale with the prospect of voting for a budget with a deficit much less one with a trillion a year. I remember when President Nixon and his party pushed through the Environment Protection Agency to clean up our air, water, and land. I remember when Presidents came on TV and took the blame for mistakes. I remember when both parties worked and played together.

I remember when scientists and science weren’t belittled as fake. I remember when schools were properly funded and teachers were respected, if not feared, by their students. I remember when a man shook hands on a deal and it was a bond of honor. I remember when the top manager made two or three bucks more than the average worker. I remember when kids demonstrated against the use of guns in Viet Nam. I remember when the first date was a handshake or a kiss on the cheek. I remember when songs were about love and not killing cops. I remember when a kid could earn enough working summers, vacations, and student jobs to pay for college. I remember when people talked to each other. I remember when almost all kids had two parents. I remember when parents were smart enough to get their kids vaccinated.

The older a person gets, the farther the current normal gets from their normal. Today’s kids will think lying, threatening harm, bullying, school and mall shootings, and anti-fact are normal. Unfortunately, their normal and my normal have the same racist overtones.