makes fun of our childhood! Comedians joke.
Grandkids snicker. Twenty-somethings shudder and say
"Eeeew!" But was our childhood really all that bad?
Judge for yourself:
The US population was less than 150 million...Yet
you knew more people then, and knew them better...
And that was good.
The average annual salary was under $3,000...Yet our
parents could put some of it away for a rainy day
and still live a decent life...
And that was good.
A loaf of bread cost about 15 cents...But it was
safe for a five-year-old to skate to the store and
buy one...
And that was good.
Prime-Time meant I Love Lucy, Ozzie and Harriett,
Gunsmoke and Lassie...So nobody'd ever heard of
> > ratings or filters...
And that was good.
We didn't have air-conditioning...So the windows
stayed up and half a dozen mothers ran outside when
you fell off your bike...
And that was good.
Your teacher was either Miss Matthews or Mrs. Logan
or Mr. Adkins...But not Ms Becky or Mr. Dan...
And that was good.
The only hazardous material you knew about...Was a
patch of grassburrs around the light pole at the
corner...
And that was good.
Most families needed only one job...Meaning Mom was
home when school let out...
And that was good.
You loved to climb into a fresh bed...Because sheets
were dried on the clothesline...
And that was good.
People generally lived in the same hometown with
their relatives...So "child care" meant grandparents
or aunts and uncles...
And that was good.
Parents were respected and their rules were law....
Children did not talk back.....
and that was good.
TV was in black-and-white...But all outdoors was in
glorious color....
And that was certainly good.
Your Dad knew how to adjust everybody's
carburetor...And the Dad next door knew how to
adjust all the TV knobs...
And that was very good.
Your grandma grew snap beans in the back yard...And
chickens behind the garage...
And that was definitely good.
And just when you were about to do something really
bad...Chances were you'd run into your Dad's high
school coach...Or the nosy old lady from up the
street...Or your little sister's piano teacher...Or
somebody from church...ALL of whom knew your
parents' phone number...And YOUR first name...
And even THAT was good!
One evening a grandson was talking with 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 on weekends -not purchasing condominiums.We never heard of FM radios, tape decks, CD's, 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????.....
This woman would be only 58
