It was better before. (c'était mieux avant)

Firstly one for travellers and ex-pats. Be aware of the golden glow of nostalgia!

This comes home to me in so many ways so often here in Bordeaux. Here's a couple of examples.

One comes from a conversation a few months ago when a British friend said, "Nobody goes hungry in England. There are no food banks in England." I quietly explained that since we left the UK in 2005 food banks have become a major activity for many of my friends and colleagues, and that some food banks are now regularly frequented by NHS nurses.

Another happened more recently and concerned bullying in schools. A French friend said how shocked they were by the bullying in England and how it isn't tolerated in France. I quietly explained that our kids were bullied in the catholic school in Pessac that they attended. "Oh, OK, I know it goes on in the catholic schools" and then how a friend's son in a state school in a suburb of Bordeaux came home one day and said "Today was a good day, nobody hit me today."

What's going on? I think it's the golden glow of nostalgia. We don't remember things properly. We forget the bad (thankfully) and remember all that was good and happy.


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