Page 28 - KCN 2020

PROSE (JR2&JR3) : THIRD PLACE

LIFEBETTER IT WAS 50 YEARS AGO?
S
I
THAN

Benedict Koo, JR3B

Throughout history, humans have evolved day by day. As evolution is inevitable, man’s glorious history and
the changes in technology, education, and so on, have completely turned the course of life around. What keeps us
from not only being alive, but having the endurance to tolerate every second of life, is excitement. That is why we
keep inventing and improving every single aspect of life to keep us from being bored. Hence, life today compared
to life fifty years ago, multiple vast changes have been made to improve the quality of our lives. However, when it
comes to the quality of life, is the assertion that life in the present is better than life fifty years ago an accurate one?

In my point of view, change is never always beneficial. For example, a controversial topic that is familiar
to everyone, global warming. An issue so serious, that humanity would be wiped out in a matter of seconds if
the Earth’s protective barrier, the ozone layer, was depleted just a little bit more. This being said, this petrifying
phenomenon is caused by man’s pride and greed. We slaughter Mother Nature just for our temporary sense of ful-
fillment and luxury. Every time we breathe, countless germs and lethal gases enter our body, making it painstakingly
hard to enjoy our natural environment. However, fifty years ago, back when the air was still fresh and clean, lush
green forests were yet to be destroyed. Mother Nature was still at peace, humans had a green paradise to explore
and enjoy, a sanctuary to produce life and incubate innovation. Hence, I think that life was better fifty years ago.

Furthermore, life in the 1960s wasn’t as stressful and tiring as the life we live now. In the era of joy and endur-
ance, humans were not as competitive as they are now. They did not only exist, no, they were living. People living
in that era had the opportunity to witness vast and innovative changes, such as seeing astronauts land their feet
on the moon. It may not seem like much, but a small step on the moon was a giant leap for humanity. They lived
life to the fullest, without being stressed out and concerned about environmental issues compared to the pres-
ent generation. Waking up in the morning and worrying about potential global destruction wasn’t their priority,
instead, pangs of excitement fueled their lives and made them feel uplifted when carrying out their daily tasks.

The quality of entertainment was so much more sophisticated and well-structured back in the day. As you
all may know, the 60s were the golden ages of Hollywood, home to celebrities like Audrey Hepburn, Joan Crawford
and so many more legendary superstars. In the 60s, going to the theatre to catch a movie was considered a luxury.
Not many could afford to go to their local theatre to catch a glimpse of their idols. This is because vintage movies
set a very high standard for the public, making it hard for movies in the upcoming decades to reach it’s superi-
ority. Pop culture in the 60s symbolized the entire decade, as iconic and memorable artists released multiple hit
records during that specific time period. Entertainment plays a huge role in everyone’s lives. We were graciously
gifted with a flourishing planet to live and thrive on. Therefore, we must enjoy our lives without any regrets.

In a nutshell, there are pros and cons when living in the 60s, but that isn’t saying we have a lack of good and “ They did not only exist, no, they were living. ”
bad when living in the now. It just so happens that I prefer living life fifty years ago, when most of humanity had a
sense of goodwill and joy. I am envious of people that lived in the 60s, as they probably had a memorable time.
Ultimately, fate is a sleeping slave. Our own fate is controlled by ourselves, as we are the only ones that can decide
our own destiny and fortune. No matter which era we live in, we deserve the right to live freely and joyously,
and I await the next fifty years to come.
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