In our not-too-distant past, humans were mostly focused on survival.

There was a time in the not-too-distant past when I would find the discovery of a basketball game on television extremely comforting.

There had been a hell of a fight in this room, at some time in the not-too-distant past.

He had washed and changed clothing in the not-too-distant past.

To be sure, there was a time in the not-too-distant past when almost everyone cared.

In the not-too-distant past, she would have driven miles out of her way to avoid cutting through here.

There had been many times in the not-too-distant past (or was it future?)

In the not-too-distant past, counterfeiting was a difficult and expensive endeavor.

Rubble was everywhere as if, at some time in the not-too-distant past, this had been a war zone.

She seemed to have forgotten our conversation at the kitchen table in the not-too-distant past.