"I was talking to my Dad about current events the other night. I
asked him what he thought about the shootings at schools, our
immoral President, the computer age and just things in general."
He replied: "Gee, let me think a minute... I was born before
television,
penicillin, polio shots, frozen foods, Xerox, contact lenses,
Frisbees
and the Pill. There weren't things like radar, credit cards,
laser beams
or ball-point pens. Man had not invented pantyhose,
dishwashers,
clothes dryers, electric blankets, airconditioners and he hadn't
walked
on the moon. Your Mom and I got married first-then lived
together.
Every family had a father and a mother, and every kid over 14
had a rifle that his dad taught him how to use and respect.
Until I
was 25, called every man older than me 'sir'; and after I turned
25, I
still called policemen and every man with a title, 'sir.' In our
time, closets were for clothes, not for 'coming out of.'
Sunday's were
set aside for going to church as a family, helping those in
need, and
just visiting with your neighbors.
We were before gay-rights, computer dating, dual careers,
day-care
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 your actions.
Serving your country was a privilege, living here was a bigger
privilege. We thought fast food was what you 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. And time sharing meant time the family
spent
together in the evenings and weekends-not condominiums. We never
heard
of FM radio, tape decks, CD's, electrictypewriters, artificial
hearts,
word processors, yogurt or guys wearing ear rings.
We listened to the 'big bands', Jack Benny and the President's
speeches on the radio. 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's, McDonald's and instant coffee were unheard of. We had 5
and 10 cent stores where you could actually buy things for 5
and 10
cents. Ice cream cones, phone calls, rides on a street car, 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 a letter and two 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, a 'chip'
meant a
piece of wood, 'hardware' was found in a hardware store and
software
wasn't even a word."
"We were not before the difference between the sexes was
discovered, but
we were surely before the sex change, 'Billy' has two mommy's,
and
pornography in a family home and at newsstands. And we were the
last
generation that was so dumb as to think you needed a husband to
have a
baby. No wonder people today call us old and confused, and there
is such
a generation gap.
...and I'm only 53!!"
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