David Tanguay

Auld Lang Syne (Or,"The good old days")



Posted: Saturday, December 31, 2005

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As a baby boomer, raised during the 50s I remember my elders talking about the good old days. On New Year's Eve, when singing the traditional "Auld Lang Syne" song, I used to believe they were referring to an old man, by the name of Langsyne.

Of course the English definition of Auld Lang Syne, is "A Scottish phrase used in recalling recollections of times long since past." Or " the good old days" (also commonly known as "The good ‘ ole' days")

I remember how older folks would talk about hard times. Being a very young child in the '50s, I remember listening to stories these old men would tell. How they lived during the period of time when automobiles were only beginning to be a means of transportation. They told the stories so well I could place myself right alongside them, and share and feel their experiences of those wild days.

To these old timers, these were the good old days. I had no doubt in my mind these were real men and women. These were the men and women who gave us what we have today. For they did not crumble, or give up on a dream. They endured the hardships and met, faced, tackled, tamed, or literally moved the obstacles that stood in the way of fulfilling their unselfish dreams, to make the world a better place to live in.

How many times have we baby boomers heard from our parents "We didn't have T.V. when we were your age." I remember at the age of six when my father bought the family our first television. The wooden frame was huge, but it had a small black and white screen.

We may have been able to get two stations, and the reception was not always so good. Being only the second family in the neighborhood to have a television, the neighbors would flock over to our house, to watch a movie on this new fangled contraption.

By the time I was ten, most everyone in our neighborhood had one. I remember our favorite series such as "I Love Lucy" with Lucille Ball, and Desi Arnaz, also The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet, with the entire Nelson family which featured Ricky and David as the primary stars of the series.

Of course, two more big political stars, ran the first presidential television debates in history in 1960 "Kennedy and Nixon" I was a Kennedy fan, in fact; he was elected on my 12th. birthday. 
                                                Kennedy and Nixon debates
Telling children of the good old days, especially the part of "how easy they have it today", is a natural occurrence, which has been going on since perhaps the beginning of time, when cave men would tell their children, "We didn't have fire when I was a kid."

Writing this article on a computer, a computer? Where I have access to the world at my fingertips, this was only science fiction when I was a kid. To me hearing rumors of electric typewriters, was quite an unbelievable achievement, back then.

 Robert Burns, composer of the song "Auld Lang Syne"

Although I suppose our children will be telling their children of their good old days as well. However, the generation that raised me, may have sung off key, and perhaps missed a few of the lyrics. However, I know in my heart, I will never hear "Auld Lang Syne" sung the way I heard it sung, when I was a child.
 "Singing Old Lang Syne"

"When the good old days, WERE!, "The good old days."



Dave Tanguay was born on November 8,1948 in Westbrook, Maine. The 10th. child of a family of eleven children. Served in Vietnam in the 60s, he became active with the youth movement of that day on completion of military duty. Now retired and living in Florida. (still believes in the young)

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