Oh How Times Have Changed

I can’t believe I am now one of those who talk about the good old days. No longer do I listen to an old person telling stories about his youth and shake my head in disbelief. “No way, dude! How did you live like that?” I would think. Well, I didn’t include the word dude in my thought process. I was watching a comedian from my era make fun of the 20’s generation. He was comparing the way they use their phones to how my generation used phones. He mentioned texting. Apparently in Seattle there is a problem, and there are public service messages posted on buses, and other common areas pointing out that you cannot text 911 if there is an emergency. You actually have to call 911 if you need help. I don’t know if he was serious, but I wouldn’t doubt it.

Young people don’t know about the black rotary phones, or, of course, those earlier phones that only required telling an operator who you wanted to talk to. The thing with rotary phones was that we dialed seven numbers to call our friends. All of the numbers we frequently called were stored in our heads, not in the phone. You know, now, I do not know anyone’s number, not even my wife’s! I remember the phone number at our house where I grew up and my friends numbers. Have I suddenly become stupid? Don’t answer that question! 

Another thing about the old phones was that when the phone rang we had no idea who it was that was calling. We had to answer it. If we missed the call we might never know who called. How many of you missed a call and spent the next hour calling all of your friends to ask if they called? Why? Because we had no answering machines! How many of you remember running over something, someone, or injuring yourself trying to get to the phone before your caller hung up? I’m not even going to mention the party line system.

We only had one phone, and it had a short cord. That meant that we had to stay in one spot to carry on our conversation. Privacy? None! I was very shy and when I was a kid I didn’t want my parents nor my nosey little brother listening when I talked to a girl. That was one reason I rarely had a date. Well, there was also the fact that the girls didn’t like me!

Yes, times have changed. Youngsters today would not have enjoyed our good old days. But just wait! Their kids will listen to their stories one day, shake their heads, and say, “No way, dude! How did you live like that?”