Living in the Past Podcast

Growing up in a secular household, Fariha Naqvi wasn't particularly interested in the Muslim religion. Though her parents had been raised in the faith, they no longer practiced and didn't insist that their children followed the religion either. It was only when Fariha was in her last year of high school that she became more intrigued with the faith after meeting a group of strong and inspiring Muslim women. Today, Fariha is an outspoken defender of her faith as well as a journalist who writes about politics, religion, culture and the intersection of all three.

On this episode of the Parenting Then and Now podcast, Sam sits down with Fariha to discuss her childhood, how she's raising her son and daughter in comparison, and her thoughts on representation and religion in society today.

Visit Fariha's blog here: Canadian Mom Eh

They were smelly. They were messy. They were cumbersome.

And yet, they were the only way that kids in previous decades got their printouts in class.

If you are a person of “a certain age,” that smell will bring you back to happier times and memories of messy ink that would cover your skin and clothing after picking up a mimeographed printout.

In the 1970's, the polyester Leisure Suit was THE fashion staple that every stylish man had to have.

Growing up in Trinidad until the age of 18, Renee Sylvestre Williams had a solid grounding and appreciation for family. She reveled in the company of her various “aunties,” her uncles, her cousins and her neighbours, who lived in her community and who would keep an eye out on her and the other kids – whether they liked it or not.

Fast-forward to her late teens, when her and her family moved from the islands to the colder regions of North America. Landing in Toronto, Canada, she was surprised at the differences in parenting, familial relationships, expectations and more.

Before 99 cent digital downloads changed our listening habits, we stocked up on 45 RPM singles of our favourite new songs.

Those of us who went to elementary school in another time remember the rite of passage that cursive signified.

The lined paper.

The strangely-shaped letters.

The repetitious copying and practicing of said letters until we got it right. The transition from a pencil to a pen, when our teacher thought that we were ready, and that we had mastered to some degree, the ability to write script.

Kids today text, type on laptops and FaceTime. They don't know what they're missing.

Sandra E. Martin was raised in a family where convention was key and changes were few. She grew up in a first-generation Trinidadian family in Toronto in the 80's and learned early on that the expectation was to follow the societal norms which included finding a "good" job, getting married, having kids and not rocking the boat.

When life happened for Sandra, she realized that the perfectly proscribed path that was planned out for her was not going to be her destiny, so she wrote her second act and moved forward into the unknown. It all worked out quite well in the end and she has learned a lot about how her childhood informed her views on life and parenting, and how her "second act" today is progressing.

Back in the day, entertainment options were often limited and fairly simple. Film lovers could do the conventional thing - go to a cinema and watch the latest popular flick or they could make another choice.

The drive-in movie phenomenon allowed for the viewing of films outdoors, under the stars. This throwback to another time served as not only a venue for entertainment, but for socializing as well.

When Nora McInerny suffered a miscarriage, lost her father to cancer then suffered the loss of her husband, Aaron, to a brain tumor all within weeks of each other, she had a decision to make: fall apart or deal with it. She chose the latter, and, although it took some time, made her the unique and enlightened person that she is today.

Who knew that there was a time in the future where "developing" pictures was no longer a thing? In the blink of an eye and with a digital snap of a button, selfies, landscapes and family images could be captured, viewed saved - or deleted - in an instant.

Before the digital age and smartphones, taking a physical roll of film to the photo development store added to the anticipation and eventual joy - or disappointment - in seeing our images from previous days (or weeks) finally revealed.