Remember When
Our next door neighbor is ninety years old. He spends a lot of his time sitting on a lawn chair looking out at the street. Since Donna and I are also retired, we’ve been inviting him to visit us once a week. While we don’t talk about religion or politics; we especially enjoy reminiscing about what life was like in the past. I thought it might be interesting to write about a few of the things we’ve discussed. I’m not generally going to focus on whether these past event are good or bad, unless it seems appropriate.
Remember when there were gas station attendants who not only pumped gas for their customers, but also cleaned the windows, checked the oil and even checked tire pressure when asked? Now, of course, the customers have to do all of this themselves and still gas is much more expensive than it used to be.
Remember when there were only three national TV networks - NBC, ABC, and CBS? Then the stations signed off at midnight until the next day. Back then the news was reported and not shaped by specific newscasters and networks. Reporters like Walter Cronkite simply reported the news. Now, each major network chooses and expands upon stories that fit their own political views. Back then the TV’s were also black and white, and the viewer had to physically get out of his seat to change channels.
Remember when corporal punishment was allowed? Back then principals, vice principals and even teachers had paddles that were meant to discourage inappropriate behavior. Then, the teacher was always right so if you got into trouble at school, you also got in trouble at home. No discussion about the teacher being at fault was acceptable.
I do remember a couple of times when school discipline was simply cruel. Once, for example in elementary school, a student opened his half empty chocolate milk carton and shoved jello and vegetables into it in order to get attention. The principal observed this, gave the student a spoon and made him eat it.
I also remember one of my own negative experience that was cruel back then. In first grade, I had forgotten my sneakers for gym several times, so my teacher put a sign on me that read, “I forget my sneakers.” I spent half the day in front of my classroom wearing the sign.
This punishment wasn’t unique to specific school systems. When I was in third grade, we moved about one hundred miles away from my old school. At my new school there was a student who was frequently late for school. The principal there, placed a sign n this student that read, “I was late for school,” and sat him on the TV cart in front of his office. He must have been about eight years old.
Remember when sports was not as much about money and individuals as it was about the team as a whole? Back then there was no spiking the ball and no touchdown dances. Referees were also the ultimate authority and parents were more respectful, I think. (Although, I do remember occasions when coaches threw chair and athletes got into fights.
Remember when only one income could support a family? It’s important to state, however, that women now contribute vital careers in corporations, the military and in politics. Frankly, in my opinion, we really need women especially in politics where men seem to be consistently “mucking it up.”
Nevertheless, it is more difficult to support a family, I think, than it used to be. Just for fun I thought I’d list some prices from the 1960’s and now to compare.
Bread $0.20 $1.93
Movies $1.00 $11.00
Coffee $0.20 $2.00
Candy bar $0.05 $1.00
Soda $0.10 $1.50
Gas per gallon $0.28 $3.10
Ford Mustang $3,000 $39,000
House $9,560 $412,200
Avg. Income $9,600 $80,600
But it’s important to point out that a lot of things are better today due to advances in medical research and improved technology. Generally speaking, there also has been more equality and the recognition of civil rights that were only beginning to be understood in 1960.
Anyway, Donna and I enjoy and appreciate listening to our neighbor tell about the days before people living in the country didn’t have TV or telephone service as well as hearing about World War II. Our parents have all passed away, so he kind of reminds us of them when we visit. I hope you enjoyed my newsletter and I’ll see you next week.
(Please remember these are my own ideas, and I’m not attempting to persuade anyone to change theirs.)
Quotes:
“Men, their rights and nothing more; women, their rights and nothing less.” Susan B. Anthony
“The civil rights movement didn’t begin in Montgomery, and it didn’t end in the 1960s. It continues to this very minute.” Julian Bond
“The hardest thing in the world to understand is the income tax.” Albert Einstein
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