A favorite phase of mine when referring to the past is, "Back in the day." When you say that it makes you sound like a bit of rebel. Like someone who's been in a bar fight or skipped school. It makes you sound cool without having actually done anything. People think, "Wow. I wish I knew you then." Of course, if they knew you then they might think, "What a bore." It seems that it's better to have someone think you are cool than to open your mouth and prove them wrong. At least that is what they said, back in the day.
