*Comic books and movies were separate entities?
*Those attending a funeral, especially a military one, didn’t need to be reminded to dress appropriately?
*It was NOT football season?
*Listening was part of public discourse?
*Waiters at fine, romantic restaurants didn’t address heterosexual couples as “you guys”?
*Such classy restaurants didn’t include televisions — with a continuous loop of sports fare — as part of their ambience package?
*Defendants in high-profile, criminal trials weren’t referenced by only their first names– from “Saddam” to “Casey”?
*A manifestly smart and witty person such as William F. Buckley Jr. spoke for conservatives?
*It actually made sense to not have normalized relations with Cuba?
*The appropriate response to “thank you” was “you’re welcome” — not “no problem”?
*The NFL and the NBA were more about their sport than their show-biz spectacle?
*Free speech wasn’t a legal rationale shared by “Super PACs” and lap dancers?
*September 11 was just another day?
*Highly successful high school football and basketball programs didn’t already look like the next level?
*”Profiling” someone only meant getting a side view?
*John Travolta was a student of Mr. Kotter — not Mr. Hubbard?
*Nobody needed directions with their baseball cap or underwear?
*In loco parentis was the guiding principle for colleges?
*The only big-time, professional sport in Tampa Bay was soccer?
*There were still some places where you didn’t dare wear shorts and flip-flops — even in Florida?
*We had finally arrived at the realization that energy independence was necessary and dependence on autocratic oil sheikdoms insane?
*(Pre-iPod) pedestrians didn’t resemble a scene from “The Invasion of the Body Snatchers”?
*Everybody knew –without benefit of video, mentors or grants — who the good teachers were and why the bad ones were so bad?
*Usage of the words “awesome” and “notoriety” still resembled their meanings?
*USF was the biggest school in the country without a football team?
*A legitimate difference of political philosophy was not synonymous with zero-sum endgame?
*Teen music had goofy or sappy — but never mean or misogynistic — lyrics?
*Aptly named “trash talk” wasn’t part of popular sports parlance?
*Nothing beat network TV for really important news updates?
*You wouldn’t see a well-dressed, well-coiffed, attractive woman with tattoos?
*”White Out” was an invaluable work desk staple?
*Undereducated, glib hucksters and panderers weren’t seen as ideological-guru material?
*Most conversational exchanges weren’t, like, extended similes?
*No one needed to know what “jihad” meant?
*The American economic engine was more about making stuff than deriving, trading or spinning off stuff?
*Men comprised majorities in both medical and law schools?
*”With all due respect” meant something other than a disingenuous preface to biting, disrespectful criticism?
*Hyphens weren’t routinely affixed to underscore our racial and ethnic diversity?
*Rail was the consensus must-have mode of transportation for all communities aspiring to compete in the 21st century?
*The caucus in Iowa was seen for what it was worth: unimportant — because the silo vote was hardly reflective of the rest of America?
*The University of Tampa — with its ever-dwindling enrollment — was increasingly considered a viable downtown campus for USF?
*”Red China” was a godless, communist enemy not a big bond-holder and economic competitor?
*”Country first” was not some naive, dated concept?
*The teaching of civics was a given?
*We all agreed that the United States had learned — the hard way — a critically important economics lessons in 1937?
*You never thought you would miss President Reagan?