Back in the day....?

Old Orchard Beach...memories of neon lights, pier fries, carny music, and the smell of the sea...oh yes, back in the day...back in the day when you could go to the Clam Bake, and stand in line for hours, yet come out with the sweetest, most delicious nector from the sea... and everyone was happy, and smiling. The workers loved serving you, the patrons didn't mind waitng....Yep those were the days. Well I was reminded of something today....we can NOT recreate memories.  Oh we can try, we can certainly try.  Maybe the sad truth is that our memories are not truly memories, but bits and pieces of good times put together, to make us believe it was all perfect.  Maybe it's the brain's way from of protecting us from the unpleasant truth that there were NO good old days, or maybe, just maybe people today are just plain looney, and our memories were right afterall...and well today..things are different!  Case in point...Walter and I decided to go to the Clam Bake for dinner tonight.  We haven't been in probably 30 years.  It was all new and swell inside.  We placed our order, and it was, I will admit pricey for food, I was about to consume on a paper plate, but heck...I'm recreating memories here, people!  We make our way into the dining room, which was rather dark, and as I look up there's all these stuffed animal heads on the walls, and a stuffed bear in the middle of the room.  I KNOW those weren't there 30 years ago...and why are they here, now?  Why would you have a place called the Clam Bake that has a gorgeous view of the saltmarshes, and decorate it with dead caribou and bear?  Walter pushed ahead in hopes of sitting on the porch, that sits near the marsh....no luck, so we sat where we could see the porch, that sat on the marsh.  Excited for his baked salmon, Walter decided to go wait at the counter, not trusting that the two of us would hear the numbers when called...afterall we are 30 years older.  I sat and observed, and observed, and observed.  I finally decided that I must have been a lot more patient 30 years ago.  About 30 minutes later my easy going mild mannered husband shows up with the tray of food and slams it on the table.  Yep, slammed.  Then he says, I'm going to write a letter, no I'm going to see the manager...Then he looks at me, and says...What???? He then began to explain his encounter with an employee that was beyond rude, but unfortunately I didn't hear a lot of what he said, as I watched parents opening the door and letting their children toss food out to the one billion and two seagulls.  Everytime the door opened the scavengers (the birds, not the kids) swamed the glass door and I had visions of myself in Tippi Hendron's raincoat inside that telephone booth!  Yep, the good old days....forever memories in my mind!