- Remember when you actually walked across the room to change the channel on the TV (or better yet your parents made you do it because you were youngest and thus had the lowest seniority)?
- Remember when we used to play vinyl records? Before cassette tapes and CDs? Before IPods?
- Remember when rather than emailing or texting someone you actually picked up a phone with a cord that was attached to the wall and called them AND if the line was busy there wasn't any call-waiting so you waited 5 minutes and tried again?
- Remember when you were a kid and walked to a friend's house, knocked on the door and said 'Can so-n-so come out and play?'
- Remember when it was safe to let your kids go out and play in the neighborhood and come home a few hours later in time for lunch?
- Remember when it was acceptable to correct any of the kids in the neighborhood for cutting through your yard, driving too fast down the street, or saying something inappropriate where other people could hear it?
- Remember when you wrote your homework and reports out BY HAND? If you couldn't spell a word you actually had to look it up yourself in a paper dictionary? When you researched your book reports and term papers you went to the library and used encyclopedias?
- Remember when you ate dinner as a family every night of the week at a specific time AND you actually talked?
- Remember when the best Halloween costumes were handmade not bought at Halloween City for $19.99?
- Remember when you had a pen pal? You wrote letters (by hand no less) on stationary you received from your grandma for Christmas and mailed it?
- Remember when writing in cursive was a required part of your education?
These are just a few of the things that come to mind for me. What about you? What do you remember doing when you were younger that's different from today? Some would say changes are all about improvement, others would suggest some things were simpler and clearer before change. Some changes make life more efficient and easier, but other changes seem to promote laziness. I've seen the handwriting of some high school and college students and let me tell you ... it's disgraceful. It used to be a joke that if a man's handwriting was bad he must be a doctor. My doctor has much better handwriting than a lot of last year's graduating class.
Tell me a favorite memory of yours. Did you used to do something that while it may have taken more time you felt by doing it you gained character?
Remember when we grew up and there were no microwaves? You also missed the 8 track tapes between the records and cassettes. Remember the first time we played a video game at Dad's, Pong? Remember when there weren't VCR's and now we have DVD's and Blue Ray, cable instead of antennas, and now we have On Demand and DVRs? Remember when there weren't computers, laptops, tablets, smart phones, internet, or Blogs? Technological advancement can be good. On the other hand, remember when sadlle shoes were the shoes to wear in the 50's? And then again in the 70's, and again later? Funny that styles for clothes are in - then they're not - then they are again if you wait long enough. What's important to remember is that our kids stay active and don't bcome couch potatoes and that we all find quality time for family.
ReplyDeleteYou just proved my point Cindy, that my memories were only the tip of the iceburg (so to speak). Yes, I do remember playing pong...lol. At least nobody got beheaded or mamed in that game. As for the computers ... I remember my senior year in high school when the school library got their first computer. It was meant to help with career searching, BUT the students weren't allowed to touch it. We had to make an appointment with the librarian and she would input everything. She used to say, 'You kids won't understand it. You'll break it. These computers will never catch on.' Guess she was wrong.
ReplyDeleteAnd you're right, no matter what changes come our way the important thing is to still have communication and quality family time.
Thanks for sharing.