Jay GreesonI'm not sure that nostalgia technically covers it, but two images of Sunday made me realize how far off course we are as a nation.
This is not blame. This is not about finger pointing. This is a reminder that admitting there's a problem is the first step in solving the problem.
The first image was on the front page of the Times Free Press. It was the logo for the online package celebrating the 50th anniversary of the society-changing summer of 1969.
I could not help but wonder what, in 50 years, the summer of 2019 will be remembered for.
Russia hacking. Climate change haggling. Social media frustration. Middle-class consternation.
Could we even pull off something as improbable as putting a man on the moon?
The summer of '69 had Woodstock and cries for social change. The summer of '19 included Bonnaroo and Riverbend hand-wringing about going to four days.
The summer of '69 had the Miracle Mets. We have the bullpen-less Braves.
The summer of '69 had the Stonewall Riots and a call for meaningful change. We have uncertainty about which bathroom to use.
The summer of '69 fought for change; the summer of '19 features tweets for changing minds.
The second image Sunday was Allie Long, a member of the U.S. women's national soccer team, dragging our flag on the ground after the World Cup win. She dropped it on the ground and could be seen stepping on it.
Thankfully her teammate, Kelley O'Hara, picked up the flag and celebrated with it draped over her shoulders.
Sports are the center of our society in so many ways. All the way from 8-year-old baseball to high school football and the World Cup, we are tied to sports teams.
The most basic connection, of course, is community. And we should all be cheering for Team USA, whether it's tiddlywinks or tackle football.
Yes, the controversies around the U.S. women's soccer team led to unfortunate conflict between the U.S.'s best player and the U.S.'s commander and chief.
In truth, they have a common bond whether they realize it or not.
Are the folks who choose not to support the U.S. team because of Megan Rapinoe's profanity about the White House or the flag incident not unlike the folks who want the country to fail because they do not like the president?
Disagree with the person (the name on the back of the jersey) - we all have that right - but I'll never cheer against Team USA (the name on the front of the jersey) in anything.
We can wish they would behave better - and I was both disappointed with what Megan Rapinoe said and thankful that she realized how she is a role model to countless young female athletes and walked that comment back somewhat.
Wanting America to lose - on the world stage, in sports, in anything - because of those athletes, politics or whatever is the modern version of cutting off our nose to spite our face.
Maybe that's the biggest difference in the last half century and how we got to the moon.
Then, we may have disagreed on how to get there, but the destination was the ultimate goal.
Now, we demand to have our way on the path to the destination, goals be danged.
Contact Jay Greeson at jgreeson@timesfreepress.com.