Looking at the obituary write-up on Debbie Reynolds in the Thursday (Dec. 29) Dispatch, I see that her life was a good metaphor for the "good old days." A star during the "innocent" 1950s, she embodied wholesomeness in her roles on screen. Behind the scenes, she lived through two divorces and three marriages, along with a tempestuous relationship with her daughter, the late Carrie Fisher. Many other famous celebrities (including "nice guy" Robin Williams and Minnesota favorite, Prince) battled with drinking, drug addiction, and/or depression. It's good for us to remember, when we start being overcome with nostalgia, that the "good old days" were never really as good as we remember them.
Every time can be called "the best of times and the worst of times." Let's do what we can to enhance "the best" of now.
Patricia W. Scott
Brainerd
