topic Re: Those things that today's young people would have no idea how to do/appreciate in SmorgasBoard

Those things that today's young people would have no idea how to do/appreciate

DaveinSC — Fri, 16 Sep 2011 18:25:09 GMT

Things that those of us who have achieved "a certain age" used to take for granted, like:

Dialing a rotary telephone

Making a collect telephone call with operator assist

Placing a stack of records on a phonograph's auto changer (remember those?)

Changing the tracks on an 8-track player

Typing a paper on a manual typewriter, using carbon paper and then correcting a mistake using an eraser with the brush on the end!

Clapping chalkboard erasers

Smelling freshly run-off ditto forms (remember that wonderful smell of duplicating fluid?!)

I could go on forever, but someone else chime in!

Re: Those things that today's young people would have no idea how to do/appreciate

Imhotrodcrazy — Sat, 17 Sep 2011 01:42:54 GMT

Telephone "party" lines where you heard your neighbors talking, so you had to wait to use the phone.

Growing up "without" TV, and just listening to the radio.

Playing "stick" ball.

School desks with "ink wells".

Fountain pens, you had to fill them with ink.

Making home made ice cream.

Buying my first used car at the age of 16 for $150.

Going to the movies for 15 cents.

Re: Those things that today's young people would have no idea how to do/appreciate

llecs — Sat, 17 Sep 2011 12:10:27 GMT

Turning the knobs on the TV to change the channel and getting yelled at if you turned it too fast.

Waiting for the TV to warm up...some had that high-pitched squeal like a jet engine warming up or something.

Ditto on the old copiers. My classmates would take the sheet and sniff it. They suffered drain bamage.

Sleeping just above the back row seats in your family's car on long trips. And trying to hold on for dear life when they brake.

Manual car windows.

Chasing the mosquito-spraying trucks and inhaling the chemical fog that came out of them.

Bringing your own drinks and food to the movie theaters, and not needing to conceal them.

Playing Pong and later graduating to the Atari 2600 with radical graphics.

Re: Those things that today's young people would have no idea how to do/appreciate

Anonymous — Sat, 17 Sep 2011 16:51:39 GMT

Having no internet!

HBO was an extra box and only came on at 7 and 10

No cellphones

Buying cigarrettes for my mom at age 10

not having to use a car seat/seatbelt (I am for both of these by the way, amazed we all lived)

No hand sanitizers

Drinking out of the hose and swimming wherever

Candy bars were three times as big and cost 10 cents

potato chips came two bags to one big bag and cost a third of what they cost now

A loaf of bread was 32 cents

Re: Those things that today's young people would have no idea how to do/appreciate

haulingthescoreup — Sat, 17 Sep 2011 18:43:56 GMT

Raking leaves.

With one of these:

Re: Those things that today's young people would have no idea how to do/appreciate

fused — Sat, 17 Sep 2011 19:01:58 GMT

getting off of the sofa to change the channel on the TV

Re: Those things that today's young people would have no idea how to do/appreciate

haulingthescoreup — Sat, 17 Sep 2011 19:34:54 GMT

@fused wrote:
getting off of the sofa to change the channel on the TV

Your dad making you get off of the sofa to change the channel on the TV.

Re: Those things that today's young people would have no idea how to do/appreciate

LIGHTNIN — Sun, 18 Sep 2011 02:01:01 GMT

@haulingthescoreup wrote:
@fused wrote:
getting off of the sofa to change the channel on the TV
Your dad making you get off of the sofa to change the channel on the TV.

Your parents yelling at you..... to come from your bedroom to change the channel.

Re: Those things that today's young people would have no idea how to do/appreciate

fused — Sun, 18 Sep 2011 02:08:27 GMT

Nah! Luckily, my dad never watched much TV.

Re: Those things that today's young people would have no idea how to do/appreciate

Mekitcat — Sun, 18 Sep 2011 03:39:43 GMT

How about dish detergent bottles as super soakers squeeze once and ran to fill it back up. Playing jump rope, chalk on the side walk, Jax. Hitch hiking. 78 records 45's.

Waiting by the radio with a tape recorder for one of your favorite songs.

Re: Those things that today's young people would have no idea how to do/appreciate

Anonymous — Sun, 18 Sep 2011 03:40:57 GMT

@haulingthescoreup wrote:
Raking leaves.

With one of these:

Wait a minute, I still rake with one of those. What am I missing out on?

Re: Those things that today's young people would have no idea how to do/appreciate

Booner72 — Sun, 18 Sep 2011 19:17:52 GMT

@Anonymous wrote:
@haulingthescoreup wrote:
Raking leaves.

With one of these:

Wait a minute, I still rake with one of those. What am I missing out on?

I was just thinking that. In fact, I spent a coupla hours this morning with one - It's half broken and the rake comes off the handle every few minutes! What is better? Maybe a blower?

-Having one phone in the house that had the 20 foot cord that tangled and twisted.

-Riding on my mom's lap in the front seat of the Datsun B 2-10.

-My first job was typing after school in an office - they had just the year before banned smoking cigs right at your desk! (Oh the luxury).

-Riding bikes w/o helmets.

Re: Those things that today's young people would have no idea how to do/appreciate

haulingthescoreup — Sun, 18 Sep 2011 22:47:23 GMT

@Anonymous wrote:
@haulingthescoreup wrote:
Raking leaves.

With one of these:

Wait a minute, I still rake with one of those. What am I missing out on?

Thank goodness! Because I hate leaf blowers. I hate everything about them. The noise, the ridiculous use of electricity or gasoline to accomplish something that arm muscles can do perfectly well, the way they blast innocent bystanding plants.

Oh, while I'm at it, this is what I used to mow the lawn when I visited my grandmother in the summertime. Oh, and I think hers had about the same amount of rust on it. It makes the coolest sound in the world though; sort of a snick, snick:

edited to 'splain what the heck this is used for

Re: Those things that today's young people would have no idea how to do/appreciate

veracious — Mon, 19 Sep 2011 17:35:51 GMT

Using an aluminum pole in pole vaulting events for track and field in high school.

Re: Those things that today's young people would have no idea how to do/appreciate

Anonymous — Mon, 19 Sep 2011 17:55:49 GMT

Hiding under the desk at school for CD (Civil Defense) drills...to save yourself from a nuclear attack...

Walking right into an airport and getting on the plane without being frisked/interrogated/cavity searched, etc...

Getting a bank loan on a handshake, because the banker knows you and your outstanding reputation...

Driving a manual transmission automobile...the deluxe model, with the optional AM radio...

TV Channel surfing...all three channels...

Timing your mailed check payments to hit your bank once the money was actually in the bank...three/four days minimum, and sometimes a week, at least...

Neighbors knowing each other...

Living in the same household (or house, anyways) with Grandma and Grandpa, and maybe a few other relatives, too...

Riding a bike as a kid (without a helmet, kneepads, or bubblewrap 'cause you might get hurt)...

Re: Those things that today's young people would have no idea how to do/appreciate

Anonymous — Mon, 19 Sep 2011 18:16:46 GMT

...and, just to add...

The only things in the house that needed batteries were the flashlight and that new-fangled transistor radio (which took a lantern battery)...

(My grandparents told me about these things...)

Re: Those things that today's young people would have no idea how to do/appreciate

Anonymous — Mon, 19 Sep 2011 20:34:02 GMT

making your own popsicles with KoolAid in those Tupperware kit things

Re: Those things that today's young people would have no idea how to do/appreciate

demi — Mon, 19 Sep 2011 22:00:26 GMT

Not being allowed to watch the three stooges...cause my brother would imitate them

Re: Those things that today's young people would have no idea how to do/appreciate

MidnightVoice — Tue, 20 Sep 2011 14:25:58 GMT

Running and swimming in yards not metres

Buying things in gallons and pounds

Oops - forgot where I was for a minute

Re: Those things that today's young people would have no idea how to do/appreciate

Anonymous — Thu, 22 Sep 2011 00:57:42 GMT

Well, I don't remember watching TV or listening to the radio, phonograph records or any of those things because, according to my parents, only "rich" kids has those things. We never had bicycles either for the same reason.

But I do remember going to the library and thank God, I can still do that today.

I remember having 2 pairs of shoes, one for everyday and one for Sunday (church). I also had 2 dresses, one for everyday and one for church.

I remember all of us taking a bath on Saturday night. Daddy used the tub water first, then mama, then my big brother, then me.

I remember my brother and me shared the same bedroom and our place only had one bathroom.

I remember doing the laundry with a wringer washer and hanging the clothes outside on a clothesline.

Those were hard times with very little laughter, and truth be told, I would never wish them on today's young people!