Gone are the days, or are they?

Friends of mine and myself started playing 5000 Rummy last year. With the original 500 Rummy, the games just ended too fast, so as Americans, we improvised and made it 5000 Rummy.
There is only one rule per se, and that is, if someone goes out on the first draw, the other two still get one turn. We have a sub rule to that, which is we play nice until we reach 4000 and then it is cutthroat time. Nice means, if you can go out and the others still have lots of cards, you hold them until they clear most of their hand. Aka “Are ya all good?”
Of course, we take advantage of this by still picking up the board and scoring as many points as possible while the first person is just holding their hand. Cutthroat -- oh yes, going out as fast as you can while the others are caught with all their cards. Negative points for them.
When the other players pick up the board just as you were about to or play the cards you have been waiting for, certain hand gestures are allowed as it is all in fun. Telling the other person they are Number 1 is a favorite. Also, name calling is allowed just as long as it is done in fun. It does make for a fun game; even I learned a few new words.
After one really fun night of cards, as my friends were leaving, they held hands. That was so cool to see. I got to thinking, which gave me a headache, as I realized that since the so-called pandemic how few people are seen holding hands anymore. Or even the quick kiss. Gone are the days?
I walk with a cane and knee braces, and as I approach a store’s entrance, I am happy to hold the door open for someone leaving the store. The other day, as I was about to enter a store, a young lady, maybe 8 or 10 years old, opened the door and held it open for me, and I got to thank her. How nice it was to see a young person upholding our old traditions.
 But what most people do not know is that in Lovell, Wyoming, manners by our younger population is still taught and appreciated. When I was teaching firearm safety, there was a class of almost 30 youngsters. They were all polite, and when it came time to shoot, each waited patiently for their turn and very few had to be reminded how to handle the firearm safely. A good tribute to how well our young students listen.
So the next time you hear someone complaining about the kids today, they must be talking about kids from California or somewhere else. I say California because certain people moved here from California and can’t play their music loud enough in total disrespect of their neighbors. It’s a shame they do not have smalltown values.