Quote from 2cents:
"Stay with this -- the answer is at the end. {edit: really?}
One evening a grandson was talking to his grandfather about current events.
The grandson asked his grandfather what he thought about the shootings at
schools, the computer age, and just things in general.
The Grandfather 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 were no:
* 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 Grandmother 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 me, "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 and
* "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 and
* "software" wasn't even a word.
And 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?
I bet you have this old man in mind...you are in for a shock!
Read on to see -- pretty scary if you think about it and pretty sad at the
same time.
Are you ready ?????
This man would be only 59 years old"
Actually, Penicillan was invented during WWII. Saved my life several times. It was pretty new though. Lots of hanky panky going on. Brittany Spears did not invent sex. Lots of drugs, in the more urban areas. Don Adams told a story of being scared before going on stage. A musician gave him something and said, here, go smoke this. It will relax you. Adams said he walked out, grabbed the mike, and screamed at the top of his lungs until they dragged him off. And Big Bands were over by then. The bid show was the "Hit Parade". Giselle MacKenzie, Patti Page, those kid of folks. And after WWII, there was a tremendous amount of post tramatic stress that didn't yet exist. There were a lot of guys that plain old drank themselves to death. Audie Murphy, the most decorated Soldier, became a invenerate gambler and womanizer, and died broke. Gas was eleven cents, but in the early fifties, a worker could expect to earn eighty five cents an hour.
And by the way, we were all scared shitless as kids because of the Russians and Chinese. We used to have air raid drills and have to dive under desks, like maple would protect you from a radiation blast.
Nope, it was no better, no worse, just life. We just know how it turned out. It looks good because we don't know what tomorrow brings.
Sorry to be dour, but thanks for the memories.

