Friday, August 31, 2007

How Old Are You?

So I got one of these forwarded emails from a family member of mine. You know the ones. This particular one kinda set me off a bit, here is what it said and then I'll comment after it -

____________________________________

Stay with this -- the answer is at the end. It will blow you away.
One evening a grandson was talking to his grandfather about current events.The grandson asked his grandfather what he thought about the shootings at schools, the computer age, and just things in general. The Grandfather replied, "Well, let me think a minute, I was born before: television
penicillin
polio shots
frozen foods
Xerox
contact lenses
Frisbees
andthe pill

There were no:
credit cards
laser beams
orball-point pens

Man had not invented:
pantyhose
air conditioners
dishwashers
clothes dryers
and the clothes were hung out to dry in the fresh air
andman hadn't yet walked on the moon

Your Grandmother and I got married first, . . . and then lived together.
Every family had a father and a mother.

Until I was 25, I called every man older than me, "Sir".
And after I turned 25, I still called policemen and every man with a title, "Sir.
"We were before gay-rights, computer- dating, dual careers, daycare centers, and group therapy.
Our lives were governed by the Ten Commandments, good judgment, and common sense.
We were taught to know the difference between right and wrong and to stand up and take responsibility for our actions.
Serving your country was a privilege; living in this country was a bigger privilege.
We thought fast food was what people ate during Lent.
Having a meaningful relationship meant getting along with your cousins.
Draft dodgers were people who closed their front doors when the evening breeze started.
Time-sharing meant time the family spent together in the evenings and weekends-not purchasing condominiums.

We never heard of FM radios, tape decks, CDs, electric typewriters, yogurt, or guys wearing earrings. We listened to the Big Bands, Jack Benny, and the President's speeches on our radios. And I don't ever remember any kid blowing his brains out listening to Tommy Dorsey.
If you saw anything with 'Made in Japan' on it, it was junk
The term 'making out' referred to how you did on your school exam.
Pizza Hut, McDonald's, and instant coffee were unheard of.
We had 5 &10-cent stores where you could actually buy things for 5 and 10 cents.
Ice-cream cones, phone calls, rides on a streetcar, and a Pepsi were all a nickel.
And if you didn't want to splurge, you could spend your nickel on enough stamps to mail 1 letter and 2 postcards.
You could buy a new Chevy Coupe for $600, . . . but who could afford one?
Too bad, because gas was 11 cents a gallon.
In my day:"grass" was mowed,
"coke" was a cold drink,
"pot" was something your mother cooked in
and"rock music" was your grandmother's lullaby.
"Aids" were helpers in the Principal's office,
" chip" meant a piece of wood,
"hardware" was found in a hardware store and
"software" wasn't even a word.
And we were the last generation to actually believe that a lady needed a husband to have a baby. No wonder people call us "old and confused" and say there is a generation gap...
and how old do you think I am?
I bet you have this very old man in mind...you are in for a shock!Read on to see -- pretty scary if you think about it and pretty sad at the same time.

Are you ready ?????
This man would be only 60 years old
__________________________________

So I kindly responded to my family member with "that's not all they had". They also had this little thing called apartheid. And that man that is 60 years old today, probably wouldn't have lived to see 60 back then, you know, without polio shots, penicillin and all that nonsense. I'm sure they also thought it was ok to beat their wives when they "got out of line a little" or even "take the kid out behind the shed to give him an attitude adjustment". yea...they had it so great back then compared to today. If anything, it was scarier to live back then.

1 comment:

EJ said...

It's from the intertubes so it must be true!

Don't take it too seriously, a lot of those things were around more than 60 years ago.

Even if the e-mail was 5-10 years old:
Stockings (silk) - 1920
Stockings (nylon) - 1938
AC - 1902
Daycare centers - 1850's
Instant Coffee - 1901

My guess is that the e-mail is shooting for 1940's time frame.

Apartheid: yes
Segregation: yes
World War: yes (twice)
Life Expectancy: 62 if you were a white male. (About 10 less if you were non-white.)
Polio: yes (as mentioned)
Voting age: 21

Not to mention all the advancements made in science, engineering, and medicine.

You're right, I'm not sure if the writer of the e-mail is trying to say life was better then or now. But considering that I am alive now, I'll do the best that I can.

- Enrique