O tempora, O mores

Jul 28th, 2015

O tempora, O mores

When I was a child (I’ll date myself and say I am talking 1970s here) fruit was something we all enjoyed and never seemed to get enough of. For example, I remember being told ‘just one tangerine’, and apples were still something happily accepted as a treat (for example at Halloween). Luxury fruit (strawberries, melons etc.) was even more for special occasions, so every year my father and I would go and pick raspberries by the side of the railway track (on Sunday when there were no trains). We’d carry back a bag of them (not a huge bag by any manner of means) and if we were very lucky, my Mother would make my all time favourite, raspberry pie.

Where I am going with this is that times certainly change (hence the title). Walking through Lochgoilhead I have noticed for the last few days that near the school there were a load of wild (well escaped) raspberries ripening. Today they were ready and I picked them all, but my point is that in my young days the school children would have had them all gone by now – whilst now they would have rotted on the bushes if I hadn’t taken them. There are also apple trees in the school playground, and I bet they don’t get raided the moment they are ripe enough to eat. Also I bet I know the response you would get if you tried to give a child an apple for Halloween.

All a bit sad (the title for those who don’t know their Cicero is basically an exclamation about how bad modern times are getting), but all the better for me because I took the rasps home and had them for breakfast with some homemade yoghurt. Very good they were too.

Add a comment

Your email address will not be shared or published. Required fields are marked *