Oh, the days when men were men, and everything didn't come with a 40-page disclaimer! Remember that time? These thoughts are sparked by "When the Going Was Good," a classic travel piece by the renowned conservative writer Evelyn Waugh. First inked in the golden 1930s and 40s, the book transports us to faraway lands when exploration meant breaking new ground rather than just collecting frequent flier points. But beyond ripping through pages about trodding unexplored paths, it takes us back to a simpler world where tradition was respected, facts mattered, and everyone had a bit more grit. The 'when' here is the mid-20th century, a golden era where men like Waugh roamed the Earth wild and free, documenting cultures inspired by more than the shallow currency of social media likes.
Evelyn Waugh wasn’t just jotting down travel tips; he was capturing an ethos. A time when people valued things that actually matter - integrity, hard work, responsibility. Values that today are considered a quaint relic of a bygone era, forgotten in our rush to conform to a contrived global narrative. Unlike the entitled few who breezily flit from one ideology to another, Waugh stood firm like an oak tree in a hurricane. His literal journeys across Africa, South America, and the Middle East transported readers to lands that fueled the adventurous spirit. Like the great explorers before him, he dared to go beyond the known, poking through exotic markets and virgin landscapes with nothing but curiosity and strength of character.
Leave it to Waugh to embody an era where man's ingenuity was matched with respect for tradition. What a far cry from today's online warriors who conquer challenges by tweeting dismay. The best part of Waugh's chronicles isn't just the scenery—it’s the subtext. The belief that when you take personal accountability, you build resilience. That's a page from his book that could help today's society instead of burying its head in the sand. The notion of adapting to the circumstance rather than bending the world to one’s comfort is something we could definitely use a refresher on.
Of course, there’s the travel itself. Waugh’s adventures are painted with a boldness that turns the mundane into a glorious canvas. Who doesn't love real adventures where one might need to wrestle a wild beast rather than post a selfie with it? Waugh basks in the discomfort of travel, which is more than just an Instagram opportunity. The thick of jungles, the shimmering deserts, and bustling cities are described not just as places to visit but as experiences to inhabit. Traveling for Waugh wasn't about ticking boxes, but understanding the world's pulse.
Then, there’s the prose itself—sharp, unapologetic, and occasionally irreverent. Waugh wasn’t writing to gain friends; he was writing truth. To capture that editorial rawness is to understand why his works became timeless. It’s interesting that many modern readers, feeling lost amid the cacophony of self-help dogma, echo back to his works for authenticity.
Waugh also reminds us that there’s no substitute for individuality and discernment. It’s ironic how modern society's censorious approach to everything would likely shock him. But then, anyone familiar with 'groupthink' could tell you that individuality is not an elective, but a calling. When was it decided that being part of a herd is preferable to standing alone? Yet, Waugh resisted the temptation and trod his own path with vigor and defiance, two qualities notably scarce today.
The optimism in "When the Going Was Good" doesn’t lie in rose-tinted visions of a world free from hardships, but in embracing the hardships themselves as necessary rites of passage. Today’s sanitized 'trigger warnings' would be alien to Waugh, who found purpose in struggle. This emphasis on character's strength to power through adversity rather than retreat into a safe space is a lesson that should never go out of style. After all, when life threw lemons, Waugh wasn't the type to whimper; he probably looked for a way to transform them into vintage lemonade.
If anything, "When the Going Was Good" is a standing testament against the tide of cultural relativism washing over our age. It's about appreciating the concrete realities of different cultures without the obsession to morph everything into one muddled truth. Every place on his map was different and was allowed to be different. Permitting societies to flourish with their unique traditions is an idea not often supported in today’s monochromatic lens.
So here we have it: the adventures recorded in Waugh's writing still resonate because they embody the indomitable human spirit. They remind us that the journey is not just about the places you visit, but how these places change you—if you let them. These foundational virtues—bravery, resilience, and an appreciation for order and tradition—were the bricks upon which the grand story of life was written. And we could use more of that in today's ever-divisive discourse.
If you're yearning for a time when icons weren't just shapes on social media, let Waugh transport you to those glory days. Just maybe, in remembering when the going was truly good, we can find a path to returning to that state of authenticity.