I’m sure you've all had it happen before. You’re at family dinner and your Uncle starts his story about "When I was a kid..." It usually involves a story about having to walk 5 miles to and from school in 3 feet of snow, up hill both ways! You
roll your eyes and groan inwardly, or maybe laughingly egg him on. well, now it’s your turn!
This week’s challenge: How are things different now from when
you were a kid?
Transportation: There was no seat belt law, heck some older model cars didn't even seat belts, and even the newer ones only had a lap belt. We used to pile a bunch of kids in the back
of the pick up truck and ride around town, up on the wheel wells, you didn't have to sit back against the cab. We actually rode our bikes or walked almost everywhere we went. And almost all of my friends had to save up
and buy their own cars!
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| 1977 Ford Maverick |
Technology: We had 2 TVs in the house, and about 6 channels. The went off at midnight and showed a
colorful striped screen. We got cable
when I was a teenager but all the local stations still went off air by
2AM. I remember rotary dial phones, but
by the time I was in middle school we had a push button. It plugged into the wall and you had to sit
next to it because the cord was only like 2 feet long. By high school, I talked my parents into
about an 8 ft cord so I could at least wander a bit or do chores while I
talked. Cameras were either Polaroid that spit out a grainy pic you had to wave around and blow on to finish
developing or some type roll that you had to take to the photo shop to send off
for developing and got back like a week later. We had to GO to the movie theater to see a
movie, Beta and VHS movies didn't come out til I was in 8th or 9th
grade, or at least we didn't have one.
As for video games, we got an Atari for Christmas one year, and had Pong
and Space Invaders, or had to go to the arcade.
I had my own stereo in high school, it had a turntable, Cassette player
and an 8-track, along with AM/FM radio and these huge speakers. I wasn't lucky enough to get a Walkman, they
were too expensive.
Food: I think school food is pretty close to the same, except
they get more choices. Pizza, Hamburger,
Tacos, and usually a fruit, a vegetable and milk. I mostly took my lunch, my mom would pack me
a sandwich, a pickle some chips and a drink in a thermos! We didn’t have juice boxes to carry. We ate at home most nights, and when I got
older and my parents got more social, I did a lot of cooking. It was ALWAYS my job to do the dishes at our
house, no matter who had dirtied them.
Friends: We mostly played
outside. When I was in grade school I
remember playing tag, hide and seek, football, soccer all out in the yards
with the neighbor kids. We played
school, made mud pies and went fishing for crawdads in the creek. Even in middle school after we moved to a new
neighborhood, we were outside. Usually
all day, and after dark. We pretty much
stayed in the neighborhood, and our parents would just open the door and yell
so you knew to come home. Janice had a
pool, so we were there a lot too. I met
Janice when I was in 5th grade, and after a bit of a rocky start, we've been best friends ever since and still talk almost every day.
School: I had to walk to school every day until I was in high
school. Then I had to ride the bus for 2
years, then I was too close, so I either bummed a ride, or had to walk a few
times. I finally got a car during the
summer between junior and senior year. The school actually offered Drivers Ed back
then too, it was an after school class. Back then they also offered more
elective classes in school, and we weren't required as many core credits. I did well in school, was pretty much a
straight A student all the way through (with just a couple of exceptions). We had to actually do work in class, and if
you didn't finish you had to take it home.
I had to come home and finish my homework before I could do anything
else. Kindergarten was only half days
for one semester, and elementary school went through 5th grade. Both middle school and high school was 6
classes per day for 6 week grading periods. Oh, and people actually LICKS when they got in trouble and real DETENTION!
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| Pizza Day |
Holidays: I always enjoyed the holidays. We usually got together at my grandparents
house and all the cousins were there. My
mom was always the first one ready to leave.
She still does that. We ended up
always celebrating Christmas on Christmas Eve, because my brother and sisters
would whine that I got to open a gift early and they couldn't wait, and I think
my parents just got tired of hearing it and would rather sleep in. I always noticed, more so at the big family
events, that while everyone else got 2 Christmas gifts to open, I usually got a
Birthday gift and a Christmas gift… but they always got another one on their
birthday too. I don’t really remember
having very many birthday parties. Now
it doesn't bother me at all, I’d really rather not acknowledge my birthdays
anyway. These days I don’t really like
the holidays at all, it’s just too much work and stress and I’d really rather
just stay home and watch movies in my PJs.
Sports: I played soccer for several years when I was in grade
school and middle school. I played
halfback and we had practice twice a week.
Only the kids on the 1st, 2nd & 3rd
place teams got trophies. If we didn’t
win, we didn’t get anything. I played
because I wanted to, and I had fun and had friends on the team. I still actually talk to a couple of them!
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| Highland United |
Styles: My hair was
stick straight, my mom made me get a “Dorothy Hamill” haircut and I hated
it! When I got older, I wore it layered
and feathered, and had to use a TON of hairspray! At one time or another I have worn gauchos,
parachute pants, neon, acid wash and leg warmers!
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| 80's Hair and Acid Wash |
So what's your story? How have things changed? Link up and play along.
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