DURING OUR TIME - by Olarewaju

I was born into the reign of Aresa. I could feel the heat in the atmosphere. The climate was not cordial.I witnessed the tenure of Oluku. I experienced the reign of Owuaga.Although I was young, I heard people lamenting, referring to the past.They claimed that the world during their time was something to write home about. They chided the young ones for being lackadaisical and not morally upright.They often quoted a proverb: An elder cannot be present at the market when a child's head is bent.This was to show that the elders had failed to correct and lead the young ones towards the right path, and also to curb or tame the nonchalance of the youth.History was always their reference point.Their argument was that the world was a better place during the time of our forefathers.Morality was at its peak. Corruption, bribery, and other vices were tamed.As a result, birds sang melodiously. Pregnant women delivered easily. The barren bore children. The rain fell at the appropriate time. The sun shone differently when it was due. Farmers harvested bountifully.Everything was in order.Now, it is our generation, which falls under the reign of Obaka. The same complaints still fill the air. They claim the world is no longer a better place.They say our planet has deteriorated.Honesty, loyalty, respect, and good morals are always on trial."During our time," my father would say.Whenever he mentioned that phrase, I already knew she would comment on the happenings of the moment."The world was not as corrupt as this. If you forgot your belongings outside for days, you would still meet them there because no one would take them."It didn't stop there.A retiree would tell those still in service, "During our time, insecurity wasn't the order of the day. We were up to the task. What good old days those were!""Gone are those good old days when Nigeria was a good place."Those are the elders' favourite sentences.But why is everything good always in the past?Does that mean the world is getting worse?Does that mean we are moving toward the end times, as religion highlights?Well, at first, I thought this nostalgic feeling was limited to people from my background and upbringing.Not until I left home did I discover that it was a general phenomenon.My interactions and relationships with people from different backgrounds made me realize that this was not limited to my roots.We are attached to our past to the extent that we focus on its good side, forgetting that every period, epoch, time, and season has its ups and downs; its pros and cons; its advantages and disadvantages.This makes us look back whenever we experience the unpleasant side of the present. We tend to compare and contrast the present with the past.Perhaps every generation believes it lives in the worst of times because memory is selective.We preserve the sweetness of yesterday and forget its bitterness. Every age carries its own burdens and blessings. The past was never perfect; neither is the present. And perhaps, years from now, we too will say to those who come after us, "During our time..." @Olarewaju

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