Given the wacky and demanding world we live in today, it’s only natural to think back upon how much better life was “in the good old days.” It’s possible that people who wax nostalgic about “the good old days” don’t have very long memories. But nevertheless – the nuttier modern life gets, the more tempting it is to look to the past. Everybody does it.

One of the things that seems to trigger this retrospective behavior is the general subject of what things cost today. Those of you who may be Jimmy Buffett fans have probably heard him say that a pair of running shoes today costs more than his first pick-up truck! Before the week is out, you yourself will most likely wind up standing in some check-out line in some store thinking, “Geez, I remember when these things only cost …”

While it may be tempting to think back fondly to the days when things cost less to buy, however, most of us wouldn’t want to turn back the clock on quality. Things cost more today largely because they’re better than they used to be. Health care is a case in point.

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