 Now, before the naysayers get all wound up about the social issues of that time, the myth of the good old days and the rest of the claptrap they rely on to feel superior and salve their consciences, let me say that in some instances they are exactly right. To an eight-year-old in my humble village of less than 1,000 people, however, social issues meant who your best friend was, and we all lived in a different world.