I remember when.....

[Thumper_Man's Wife]

So, I received an email recently describing how kids these days have it so easy as opposed to when we were kids. i.e., Cell phones, we didn't have these when I was a kid. I think we were excited when we finally got call waiting, as before that if you called, and someone was on the phone, too bad, so sad, you had to try back later! Or email - When I was growing up, (And yes I realize I am beginning to sound like my grandparents on this) We had to get out our handy dandy pencil and paper and actually WRITE to someone if we wanted to correspond. And then had to wait a week or so for it to get there by mail and have the anticipation of waiting for a response for another week!

Anyway, before I go into having to walk 25 miles to school, up hill, both ways, in the snow, all year long, What do you remember from when you were younger that either no longer exists today, or has been improved upon by technology?

 

[laurie31]

If you missed an episode of your favorite show, you had to wait for the summer to see it in a rerun. I thought I'd died and gone to heaven when we got a VCR.

There were only the 3 major networks and PBS on the TV. The biggest screen was 25 inches and only rich people had those. We had a 13 inch, and my little brother WAS the remote control.

If you liked a song you heard on the radio, you took your cassette recorder and put it up to the speakers and taped it. If you really liked it, you went to the record store and bought a 45. If you really REALLY liked it, you bought the whole album.

If you didn't know something, you had to look it up in the encyclopedia. We had the whole World Book set. If it wasn't in there (or if the set was too outdated on that topic) you had to go to the library, and search through the card catalog.

If you were typing your research paper, and you made a mistake, you had to go back and type that entire page again. There was no spell check, no grammar check, and you had to physically count the spaces to center your title.

 

[joviroxx]

I rented a car the other day. My 10 yr old was looking at the door and pointed to something and asked me what it was......I told her it was the window crank . I then had to explain how it works and that she couldnt just press a button to open the window... <sigh>

You had to take your time with the rotary phones and their was no speed dial
TV's without remotes so you had to get your butt off the couch
Having to align your 45's on the record player because you lost all the little inserts for the center

The list goes on and on! LOL

 

[Took]

If you missed an episode of your favorite show, you had to wait for the summer to see it in a rerun. I thought I'd died and gone to heaven when we got a VCR.

There were only the 3 major networks and PBS on the TV. The biggest screen was 25 inches and only rich people had those. We had a 13 inch, and my little brother WAS the remote control.

If you liked a song you heard on the radio, you took your cassette recorder and put it up to the speakers and taped it. If you really liked it, you went to the record store and bought a 45. If you really REALLY liked it, you bought the whole album.

If you didn't know something, you had to look it up in the encyclopedia. We had the whole World Book set. If it wasn't in there (or if the set was too outdated on that topic) you had to go to the library, and search through the card catalog.

If you were typing your research paper, and you made a mistake, you had to go back and type that entire page again. There was no spell check, no grammar check, and you had to physically count the spaces to center your title.

We must be nearly the same age, Laurie31, because these are the memories I have, too. (I still kinda miss the card catalog. I even liked the slightly musty smell that many of them had, and I still have a set of encyclopedia that read from time to time. Much more fun than reading online.)

I distinctly remember that "little" candy bars either didn't exist at all or were only available at Halloween, which was almost the only time I got much candy. I also remember when a 6 oz soda was the norm and that when 16 oz sodas came out, we thought they were HUGE!

 

[laurie31]

Having to align your 45's on the record player because you lost all the little inserts for the center

Oh gosh!! I'd forgotten about that! I had to do that!

Sometimes, though, we would purposely misalign the record, to make it play funny.


The window crank thing is hilarious. It reminds me of that woman who called 911 because she was locked INSIDE her car. Her battery was dead and the power locks wouldn't work. She had no idea how to get out.

We were cleaning out the garage and found an old (mid-90's) cell phone and my kids were shocked at how big it was.

There used to be only ONE phone in the house. It was a big deal to get a "second extension" and you had to sit at the phone and talk. The cords weren't that long. A long distance call was a BIG deal, and everyone had to be very quiet if Daddy was talking long distance.

No microwaves. If you wanted to reheat your leftovers, you had to warm them on the stove.

 

[Thumper_Man's Wife]

If you didn't know something, you had to look it up in the encyclopedia. We had the whole World Book set. If it wasn't in there (or if the set was too outdated on that topic) you had to go to the library, and search through the card catalog.

I have to wonder...Do kids these days know what a card catalog is/was? Most library's I have gone to all have electronic catalogs now.

If you were typing your research paper, and you made a mistake, you had to go back and type that entire page again. There was no spell check, no grammar check, and you had to physically count the spaces to center your title.

I forgot about having to use a typewriter for a research paper thing. But your right...If you messed up, which was all the time in most cases because the typewriter we had a school was so old keys would stick and there wasn't a delete button, you had to go and do the whole thing over. And it was usually at the end of that page where I would mess up!

 

[laurie31]

We must be nearly the same age, Laurie31, because these are the memories I have, too. (I still kinda miss the card catalog. I even liked the slightly musty smell that many of them had, and I still have a set of encyclopedia that read from time to time. Much more fun than reading online.)

I distinctly remember that "little" candy bars either didn't exist at all or were only available at Halloween, which was almost the only time I got much candy. I also remember when a 6 oz soda was the norm and that when 16 oz sodas came out, we thought they were HUGE!

I'm 42.

And we only got those little candy bars at Christmas, in our stockings! I loved them - I thought they were so cute!

Now you've got me wondering if my parents still have their encyclopedia set. I need to show it to my kids!

 

[BalooTheBear]

Watching TV in black & white.... Even if you were well off enough to have a color TV, most shows were still only B&W....

Listening to AM radio - because that was all we had...

No video games, only had board games where you had to have friends to play the game with.... Or playing outside mostly all summer, same reason - friends required....

No laptops, cell phones, texting, only land-line phones (if you had one) that was attached to a cord..... Oh, and pay phones (booths)....

Great thread..... I could go on and on...

 

[BalooTheBear]

I have to wonder...Do kids these days know what a card catalog is/was? Most library's I have gone to all have electronic catalogs now.




I forgot about having to use a typewriter for a research paper thing. But your right...If you messed up, which was all the time in most cases because the typewriter we had a school was so old keys would stick and there wasn't a delete button, you had to go and do the whole thing over. And it was usually at the end of that page where I would mess up!

First Term paper I did was in the 9th grade and had to be typed - double spaced - 10 or more pages.... Took me forever.........

 

[DisneyMim]

I grew up in a major city that is not exactly the most safe place in the world. I can remember my father always telling me to carry change so I could make a phone call to him if I needed a ride home. I have to say he was always there for me and also my uncle who worked with my father so I did always feel somewhat safe. That being said, for me personally, I think the cell phone is the greatest thing!!! It wasn't always easy to find a pay phone, but when my own kids were growing up, especially in their teens, it was wonderful to be able to call them and know that they could call me. Also caller ID is another of my favs!!

Nice thread!!

 

[golfgal]

I have to say that on thing kids have these days that IS SO much easier is the computer--even just as a word processor. We thought we were all in heaven when they came out with erasable typing paper .

I think in a lot of ways kids have it so much harder today then we did. They weren't under the pressure kids are today to be the "best" at everything. We were allowed to grow up and do things on our own from a young age which made things like going off to college much easier for us. My parents we in no way involved in my college selection process other then filling out the FFA, by hand .

 

[Kathi OD]

All the good stations were on AM. There were very few stations on FM.

It only cost 5cents to mail a letter.

Gasoline was 28 cents a gallon (and I was driving).

You had to put a bulb in the camera for it to flash.

Oh, and remember how big the TVs were? They needed to be the size of a large table to hide all the electonics and the back of the tube, even though the screen was only about 13 inches.

 

[Sugardimples]

Remember when the whole neighborhood would go to the bank on Friday after work to cash their paychecks? And Friday was the only day that the bank stayed open after 3:00.

No direct deposit, no ATM cards, no credit cards at all!

 

[Swimnoid]

Love this thread!

We rode our bikes all the time and without a helmet!

You played outside until your mom actually hollered for you to come home or rang the bell....and you hollered back that you were coming.

Like a PP said, your parents made you do things for yourself so you were fairly independent and capable of figuring out how to take care of yourself.

 

[joviroxx]

Oh, and remember how big the TVs were? They needed to be the size of a large table to hide all the electonics and the back of the tube, even though the screen was only about 13 inches.

We had those big console TV's that , when it would get wonky, give it a big ol' slap on the side, and voila!

Sometimes, though, we would purposely misalign the record, to make it play funny.

Or had to put the penny on the needle so it wouldn't skip LMAO!


I used to make extra money in college typing up people papers.. Killed my business with the onset of word processing LOL!

 

[almburr]

Phone lines you shared with another person a party line. I always remember when I was little and Id pick up the phone and the old neighbor was still on it for hours, we ask if he could talk later hed say sure and hed hang up. Then you had to listen for your ring if someone called your number.


Make beleive- when you would play outside all day and pretend. That is why I love Phineas and Ferb!

 

[Thumper_Man's Wife]

First Term paper I did was in the 9th grade and had to be typed - double spaced - 10 or more pages.... Took me forever.........

Oh man, I know the first time I ever had to do a typed paper for class I was lost...I had no clue how to type...I was one of those two finger typists . Took me forever to do and the people at the library would look at me with a look of pity every time I walked in to work on it.

No video games, only had board games where you had to have friends to play the game with.... Or playing outside mostly all summer, same reason - friends required....

No laptops, cell phones, texting, only land-line phones (if you had one) that was attached to a cord..... Oh, and pay phones (booths)....

Great thread..... I could go on and on...

Thanks! Its interesting to see what people come up with. As I am reading other peoples posts, I keep stopping myself and going "Oh yeah...i remember those!"

I remember the land line with the longest cord ever that was mounted in the kitchen only and the cord could reach all the way across the house practically. Every so often you would have to dangle the phone so the cord could untangle otherwise you would be walking with it and it would slingshot you back to the kitchen.

I grew up in a major city that is not exactly the most safe place in the world. I can remember my father always telling me to carry change so I could make a phone call to him if I needed a ride home. I have to say he was always there for me and also my uncle who worked with my father so I did always feel somewhat safe. That being said, for me personally, I think the cell phone is the greatest thing!!! It wasn't always easy to find a pay phone, but when my own kids were growing up, especially in their teens, it was wonderful to be able to call them and know that they could call me. Also caller ID is another of my favs!!

Nice thread!!

Thanks! I totally agree with you. I don't know what I would do without my cell phone now. I make sure to take it with me anytime I am driving, just to be on the safe side since you never know what can happen. But that's the fun part about this thread...What did we do before all these technological advancements?!

 

[Syrreal]

I remember having to fuss around with the tv antennas.
I also remember when we got cable. It was AWESOME!!!

 

[ncmickeyluvr]

I remember having to fuss around with the tv antennas.
I also remember when we got cable. It was AWESOME!!!

LOL I was just going to comment on the day we got cable. It was like a holiday! The trucks came rolling onto our street like a parade and ran the lines for the whole street. Everyone got HBO and Cinemax for free to start out and they showed the same movie ALL day long. I remember watching "Take this Job and Shove It" 10 times in a row Sad, but I think that was the summer I stopped playing outside all day

 

[Eeyore'sthebest]

I remember having to fuss around with the tv antennas.
I also remember when we got cable. It was AWESOME!!!

Remember playing with those rabbit ears until it was just perfect. And then sometimes you would take your hand off of it and it would get fuzzy again. We always tried to get my little sister to just stand there holding it.

And my dad would always scream "Don't turn the knob so fast. You'll break the television!" My DH's dad got tired of the boys fighting over the station so he would set the station, yank the knob off and leave the room with it. Fortunately or unfortunately, he trained his boys to be creative. They went to the garage and got a pair of pliars to change the station.