One evening a grandson and his grandfather were talking. "How old are you Grandpa," asked the grandson, "and what was it like when you were growing up?"
The grandfather reminisced:
"Well, let me think a minute..."
I was born before:
1. television
2. penicillin
3. polio shots
4. frozen foods
5. xerox
6. contact lenses
7. frisbees, and
8. the pill
There were no:
1. credit cards
2. laser beams, or
3. ball point pens
Man had not invented:
1. pantyhose
2. air conditioners
3. dishwashers
4. clothes dryers (clothes were hung in the dry fresh air), and
5. man had not walked on the moon
Your grandmother and I got married first.....and then lived together
Every family had a father and mother
Until I was 25 I called every man older than me "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 judgement 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 and living in this country was a bigger privilige
We thought fast food was what people ate during Lent
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
I don't 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 & 10 cents
Ice cream cones, phone calls, streetcar rides and Pepsi were all a nickel
If you didn't want to splurge, you could spend your nickel on enough stamps to mail one 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:
1. "grass" was mowed
2. "coke" was a cold drink
3. "pot" was something your mother cooked in
4. "rock music" was your grandmother's lullaby
5. "aids" were helpers in the principal's office
5. "chip" meant a piece of wood
6. "hardware" was found in the hardware store, and
7. "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...
"Grandson, how old do you think I really am?"
I bet you, the reader, have this old decrepit man in mind... your'e in for a shock!
Ready?
"Grandson, ..........I am 59 years old today!"
The grandfather reminisced:
"Well, let me think a minute..."
I was born before:
1. television
2. penicillin
3. polio shots
4. frozen foods
5. xerox
6. contact lenses
7. frisbees, and
8. the pill
There were no:
1. credit cards
2. laser beams, or
3. ball point pens
Man had not invented:
1. pantyhose
2. air conditioners
3. dishwashers
4. clothes dryers (clothes were hung in the dry fresh air), and
5. man had not walked on the moon
Your grandmother and I got married first.....and then lived together
Every family had a father and mother
Until I was 25 I called every man older than me "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 judgement 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 and living in this country was a bigger privilige
We thought fast food was what people ate during Lent
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
I don't 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 & 10 cents
Ice cream cones, phone calls, streetcar rides and Pepsi were all a nickel
If you didn't want to splurge, you could spend your nickel on enough stamps to mail one 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:
1. "grass" was mowed
2. "coke" was a cold drink
3. "pot" was something your mother cooked in
4. "rock music" was your grandmother's lullaby
5. "aids" were helpers in the principal's office
5. "chip" meant a piece of wood
6. "hardware" was found in the hardware store, and
7. "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...
"Grandson, how old do you think I really am?"
I bet you, the reader, have this old decrepit man in mind... your'e in for a shock!
Ready?
"Grandson, ..........I am 59 years old today!"