A trip down memory lane

[Breslauer]

One evening a grandson was talking to his grandmother about current events. The grandson asked his grandmother what she thought about the shootings at schools, the computer age, and just things in general.



The Grandma replied, "Well, let me think a minute, I was born before:

§ television,

§ penicillin,

§ polio shots,

§ frozen foods,

§ Xerox,

§ contact lenses,

§ Frisbees and

§ the pill.

There was no:

§ radar,

§ credit cards,

§ laser beams or

§ ball-point pens.

Man had not invented:

§ pantyhose,

§ air conditioners,

§ dishwashers,

§ clothes dryers,

§ and the clothes were hung out to dry in the fresh air and

§ man hadn't yet walked on the moon.

Your Grandfather and I got married first-and then lived together.

Every family had a father and a mother.

Until I was 25, I called every man older than I, 'Sir'- and after I turned 25, I still called policemen and every man with a title, "Sir.'

We were before gay-rights, computer- dating, dual careers, daycare centers, and group therapy.

Our lives were governed by the Ten Commandments, good judgment, and common sense.

We were taught to know the difference between right and wrong and to stand up and take responsibility for our actions.

Serving your country was a privilege; living in this country was a bigger privilege.

We thought fast food was what people ate during Lent.

Having a meaningful relationship meant getting along with your cousins.

Draft dodgers were people who closed their front doors when the evening breeze started.

Time-sharing meant time the family spent together in the evenings and weekends-not purchasing condominiums.

We never heard of FM radios, tape decks, CDs, electric typewriters, yogurt, or guys wearing earrings.

We listened to the Big Bands, Jack Benny, and the President's speeches on our radios.

And I don't ever remember any kid blowing his brains out listening to Tommy Dorsey.

If you saw anything with 'Made in Japan ' on it, it was junk.

The term 'making out' referred to how you did on your school exam.

Pizza Hut, McDonald's, and instant coffee were unheard of.

We had 5 &10-cent stores where you could actually buy things for 5 and 10 cents.

Ice-cream cones, phone calls, rides on a streetcar, and a Pepsi were all a nickel.

And if you didn't want to splurge, you could spend your nickel on enough stamps to mail 1 letter and 2 postcards.

You could buy a new Chevy Coupe for $600 but who could afford one?

Too bad, because gas was 11 cents a gallon.

In my day:

§ "grass" was mowed,

§ "coke" was a cold drink,

§ "pot" was something your mother cooked in
§ "rock music" was your grandmother's lullaby.

§ "Aids" were helpers in the Principal's office,

§ " chip" meant a piece of wood,

§ "hardware" was found in a hardware store
§ "software" wasn't even a word.

We were the last generation to actually believe that a lady needed a husband to have a baby. No wonder people call us "old and confused" and say there is a generation gap... and how old do you think I am?


.... 58 years old!

[gatiep]

Maybe its not much of a joke but there definately is a lot of truth and sound advice to follow.

One bit amongst a whole lot of others that I would see more off in our present day society: "We were taught to know the difference between right and wrong and to stand up and take responsibility for our actions."

Not many out there nowadays that take responsibility for their actions!

[LineLefty]

whats a tape deck?

[doublejay]

SILLY SLANG SONG
- Eric Bogle

Do you remember the day when if you said that you were gay
It meant with joy, you could sing and shout?
When a fairy was enchanting and dressing up and camping
Was something you did with the Scouts?
That innocent age when an urgent case of aids
Was powdered milk we sent to the Sahara.
A fruit was something nice to eat, a poof was something for your feet
And a queen was an old tart in a tiara.

Chorus: Ah, look what we've done to the old Mother Tongue
It's a crime, the way we've misused it.
It's been totally tiswoggled, tronged and longed and gollywobbled
And we've strangled, frangled, mangled and abused it.

Ah, those halcyon times when a bong meant a chime
And a buzz was a noise insecticidal
A joint meant something between bones and getting really stoned
Only happened to bad people in the Bible.
When if you had a bad trip it meant you fell and broke your hip.
Cold turkey just meant Christmas at Aunt Dottie's.
Coke was something that you burned, smack was something that you earned
From your mumsy-wumsy when you had been naughty.

The years have gone, I'm afraid, when only eggs got laid,
And only the rhinosaurus got horny.
Only kangaroos jumped and only camels humped
Getting stuffed meant a little taxidermy.
Swnging was for trapezes or Tarzan's chimpanzeeses
Tossing off was something Scotsmen did with cabers.
Now it means something quite obscene while a heavy ugly scene
Is any movie starring Arnold Schwartzenegger.

[gatiep]

Lefty, Its the same as a decked tape! ( just a little different).

[rod1949]

whats a tape deck?

That's what you rest your measuring tape on.

[echnidna]

whats a tape deck?

Its the rear deck of a boat thats held together by sticky tape.

[jow104]

Apprentice (new member)

Quote
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Newfoundland, Canada
Age: 73
Posts: 3 A trip down memory lane

A very nice article.

When I was 7 years of age (in the U.K.) now 68. I asked my grandmother what she did when she was a little girl. (the 19th century) she replied she left school at 12 years of age and went from Yorkshire to Aberdeen in Scotland and followed the fishing fleet down the east coast of Scotland/England to Yarmouth every year as a fisher girl.

She never became a single mum either.