»It was a simple life back then. People used to live in villages surrounded by meadows, forests and nature. Streets were filled with people walking with their heads up and their hands free. They would also live off of the animals they raised and would end up living a hundred years. Money was important, sure, but not the sole thing that shaped their lives. For most folks, there was no need to waste money or gather it in their pockets just for the sake of it. Fun and happiness came often from things that didn’t require a penny: strolls, listening to radio programs or just gathering with your neighbors were enough to have a pleasant time. However, there wasn’t always time for socializing and having a lot of fun.
Days went by rapidly because people worked from dawn to dusk. It was demanding indeed. Not that today is any different, though. But… when I talk with my grandparents about the past, they usually portray it with affection. And, if they were to speak about people, they would depict them as friendly, helpful and with very good manners. It might stem from the fact that nobody was on a rush all the time and life was less complex and more about the things around us. Stress and anxiety were not the order of the day and just a few people really had to deal with it. Today’s the other way around. Just tell me how many times you hear people say, on a daily basis, that they are »stressed-out, tired, overwhelmed or anxious». You see? We’ve definitely lost those ‘simpler’ days altogether.
The point here is not to go back to days where there was no electricity and technology to make our lives easier. This is about retrieving what phones, money and greed took away from us. My grandparents remember seeing smiley faces, people singing and whistling all day, cheers, helping hands and good mornings… all that stuff is now gone and replaced by bad moods, greed, selfishness and money-oriented mentalities.
So the question is:
Where did those good days go?
and more importantly…
Why have we changed?»
Memories from the past (beginner level).
»Life was simple in the past. Many people lived in small villages. The streets were full of people walking and talking with each other. There were fields, forests and a lot of nature around the villages. People also worked with animals and farms. Money was important, but it was not the most important thing in life. Many people did not want a lot of money. They just wanted a good and peaceful life. People found happiness in simple things. They liked walking outside, listening to the radio or talking with their neighbors. These small things made them happy.
Life was not easy. People worked a lot in general. They worked from early morning until evening. They had many responsibilities. When I talk with my grandparents about the past, they say people were very friendly and helpful. They were polite and respected each other. Maybe people were nicer because life was slower. They were not always in a hurry. Life was also less complicated.
In the past, many people did not feel so much stress or anxiety. Now things are different. Today we often hear people say they are stressed, tired or anxious. It looks like that we lost those simple days. This does not mean we should live without electricity or technology. Technology helps us in many ways. But maybe we lost something important. My grandparents remember people smiling, singing, whistling, helping others and saying “good morning”. Today we often see something different: bad moods, selfishness and people thinking too much about money.
So the question is:
Where did those good days go?
And why did people change?»
Key words (original version):
Vida y entorno.
- Meadows: campo, praderas.
- Surrounded by: rodeado de.
- Live off (something): vivir de (recursos).
Sociedad y dinero.
- The sole thing: lo único, lo principal (la única cosa)
- Gather money: acumular dinero.
- Money-oriented mentality: mentalidad centrada en el dinero.
- Greed: avaricia.
- To shape (their lives): darle forma, moldear, influir (sus vidas).
Vida cotidiana y ocio.
- Strolls: paseos (también es un verbo, to stroll: dar un paseo).
- Gather with (people): reunirse con (personas).
- Have a pleasant time: pasar un buen rato.
Trabajo y ritmo de vida.
- From dawn to dusk: de sol a sol, de la mañana a la noche.
- Demanding: exigente.
- On a rush: con prisa.
Emociones y estado mental.
- Stress/anxiety: estrés/ansiedad.
- Overwhelmed: abrumado, agobiado.
- Bad mood: mal humor.
Expresiones útiles.
- For the sake of it: por el simple hecho de hacerlo.
- The order of the day: La orden del día, lo habitual.
- Back then: en aquella época, por aquel entonces.
- It might stem from…: podría deberse, venir de…
- The other way around: al revés.
- Altogether: completamente.
- The point here is…: la cuestión aquí es…
Grammar (original version):
En esta pequeña historia, he hablado sobre la vida del pasado y sobre cómo vivimos hoy. Suele predominar el pasado simple y el presente simple, con verbos en participio aquí y allá. Fíjate en que no he tenido que usar una gramática súper compleja en casi ningún momento. En cambio, sí he usado vocabulario variado. Esto me ha ayudado a formar ejemplos y a hablar sobre diversas situaciones tanto de la vida de antes como la de ahora. No te obsesiones demasiado con gramática compleja porque lo importante es tener siempre la siguiente palabra que queremos decir o una alternativa. De esta forma, mostramos fluidez que es lo más importante al hablar o escribir.
Key words (beginner level):
Vida y entorno.
- Village: pueblo.
- Fields: campos.
- Forest: bosque.
- Nature: naturaleza.
Dinero y estilo de vida.
- Money: dinero.
- Important: importante.
- Peaceful life: vida tranquila.
- Simple things: cosas simples.
- A lot of money: mucho dinero.
Actividades cotidianas.
- Walking: caminar.
- Talking with each other: hablar entre ellos (o, entre nosotros, depende del contexto).
- Listening to the radio: escuchar la radio.
- Neighbors: vecinos.
- Outside: Por fuera.
Trabajo y rutina.
- Work: trabajo.
- From early morning until evening: desde la mañana hasta la tarde.
- Responsabilities: responsabilidades.
- Life was not easy: la vida no era fácil.
Emociones y personalidad.
- Friendly: amable.
- Helpful: servicial, de ayuda.
- Polite: educado.
- Stress/stressed: estrés/estresado.
- Tired: cansado.
- Anxious: ansioso.
Expresiones útiles.
- In the past: en el pasado.
- Many people: mucha gente.
- It looks like…: parece que…
- Things are different: las cosas diferentes.
- Now/today: ahora/hoy.
- Why did…?: ¿por qué…?
Grammar (beginner level):
En este nivel no usamos demasiado conectores entre frases ni tampoco expresiones muy complejas, pero aún sí se puede hablar largo y tendido sobre un tema tan amplio como la vida en el pasado frente a la vida de ahora. La clave está en formar frases pequeñas y acabarlas con un punto y seguido, para luego continuar con otra frase igual de sencilla. He usado el presente y el pasado simple durante todo el texto y, con eso solo, he podido escribir tres sólidos párrafos con sentido y coherencia. Cuando escribas, sigue manteniendo la idea de escribir oraciones sencillas y cortas. Esto te ayuduará muchísimo.