Wednesday, June 26, 2019

Can you guess this man's age?



My Mom sent this to me recently and I found it completely fascinating. If you are a relatively young person, this will shock you.  I'm not young, but it still shocked me because I realized how much our world has changed in my lifetime.  Sometimes we just get used to the status quo and accept our culture around us, and we end up thinking things have been this way for awhile.  But no, things were much much better and simpler in the past, and dare I say, more Godly.

Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to read through the list and guess the youngest age this man could be.  I'll give you the answer tomorrow. 

I WAS BORN BEFORE

  • television
  • penicillin
  • polio shots
  • frozen foods
  • Xerox
  • contact lenses
  • Frisbees 
  • The Pill
There were no:
  • ' credit cards
  • ' laser beams or
  • ' ball-point pens
  •  ' pantyhose
  • ' air conditioners
  • ' dishwashers
  • ' clothes dryers
  • Clothes were hung out to dry in the fresh air and ' space travel was only in Flash Gordon books.
  •  People got married first and then lived together.
  • Every family had a father and a mother.
  • Until I was 25, I called every woman older than me, "mam".
  • 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 Bible, 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 eating half a biscuit while running to catch the school bus.
  • Having a meaningful relationship meant getting along with your cousins.
  • Draft dodgers were those who closed front doors as 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 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 Ford 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 or from the archives.
How old do you think I am?



8 comments:

  1. I'm going to make a bit of a joke that in the UK, what you call 'French fries' are still called 'chips', and what you call 'chips' or 'potato chips' are known as 'crisps'. There are computer chips, but there's also plain old Fish and Chips too.

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    1. Yes, I've heard that! So funny. chips and crisps.

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  2. Families also did not move as far from families and hometowns, at least between the expansion of the West and the popularity and commonality of the car.
    Ok I live in a small town though and there are still a few people here that have lived here a majority of their lives.

    And while it was not as common, I do know of a family where the mom had a kid out of wedlock in the late 1920's. So while a whole lot more rare, it did happen.

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    1. I agree. I'm a victim of that. I got married and moved to California from Florida and I've regretted it ever since. I miss my family. My kids never grew up with family around and it's affected them negatively. Families should stay together like they used to.

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  3. All those things on that list I lived with. Life was so much easier than. Although my parents lived through the depression, I was born during the depression but life might have been hard but they were family oriented . One of my fondest memories during those hard times, was when the World War 11 ended. My best friend and I were so excited bu didn’t really know how to celebrate- so we went trick or treating. Knocking on people’s doors saying “ The war is over. Trick o treat “ Boy did we get some good treats and even money. We were in our glory, that is until we got home. My Mother was furious and going to march me back to each house to return my stash of goodies. My father intervened , saying. They would not want back the treats after our hands had been all over it. So I was grounded for a week. As we sat around the radio, listening to the President and the World as they celebrated too- we all were eating my goodies. My Father winked at me and gave me a thumbs up. True story that could only happen in small town —American !!!

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    1. That is a great story, Elsie! My Mother talks about how there were blackouts on the east coast at night during the war... and how everyone in the country was so patriotic back then. She remembers listening to the radio too. What an amazing time. A simpler, less evil time.

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  4. Sounds like this man was born between my Aunt who is in her 90's and my Dad who is 80.

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