Back in the Day

Every now and then, I get to thinking about the "good old days" and I tend to get nostalgic.  It was a different time and a different world when I was growing up.  We may not have had all of the modern wonders that we have today, but I'm not convinced that kids today are any better off than we were.

Today, I began conducting a little experiment of my own.  It's called "Let go of the cell phone".  And I imagine that statement being made in the same tone that you might very slowly and clearly say to someone:  "Put the gun down....".  Yes, I am just as guilty as the next person when it comes to the cell phone.  It's pretty much a permanent extension of my hand.  Will someone please tell me, seriously.... How on earth did we manage to survive back in the day when there were no cell phones?  I will clearly show my age here and admit that we didn't even have computers yet.  I remember learning to type on an old manual (pre-IBM electric) typewriter with carbon paper and erasers.  Egads!!  And while I'm on a roll, I can also say that we didn't even have color television at our house.  And a remote control for the television?  What was that?  Oh yes, it was our hand, when we got up off of the couch and turned the knob to one of the other two channels that were available.  Yes, life was grand!

So, how DID we manage to survive during these prehistoric days?  Well, I can remember that we spent a lot of time outside.  (Did I forget to mention that there was no air conditioning in the house? So it really wasn't any cooler inside the house than it was outside.)  So, outside we went.... to ride bikes, play dress up and dance on the picnic table (NO, not the same as table dancing!), and climb trees.  (I even heard tales of people falling out of said trees... not naming names, of course.)

And since there were no cell phones in those days, we had to listen for our mothers to yell down the street for us to come home.  And if that failed, we knew that we had better be home before that first street light came on, or else!  Yes, it was a much simpler time to be a child.  I'm not so sure that I prefer all of the conveniences and technology that are available to kids today.  Are they missing the opportunity to learn to survive without them?

I recall not too many years ago, when my own two daughters were probably pre-teens and we had to get a rental car for a few weeks while our vehicle was being repaired.  When my girls got in the rental car for the first time, they were totally at a loss.  They looked at me with perplexed looks and asked, "Mom, how do we put the windows down in this car?"  The car didn't have electric windows, just the old-timey crank handle.  All I could say was, "Seriously?  Good grief!!"

And one last random question, which has bugged me for years:  When did "junior high school" become "middle school"?  And why?

"Joy is found in the simple things"