The Way It Was
(Playing ~ "Remember When")

As our world continues to change at a rapid pace, it is good every now and then to take a look back
and remember how things used to be.

It was a warm Summer day in the country, and a grandfather and grandson were enjoying the relaxation of the afternoon in the front porch swing.

The little boy was checking out a new action-figure his grandfather had bought him that morning during a trip to town. Action-figures were something new to the grandfather, having gone through childhood during the days when little boys were not seen playing with what he called a 'doll.'

His grandson had been arguing the point that the action-figure was not a doll, but was a needed tool for little boys to enjoy their favorite hero in play. The little boy asked his grandfather in total curiosity, "Didn't you have action-figures when you were a little boy way back then in the 'olden' days? Was that way back before computers, Grandpa? What was it like way back then?"

The grandfather leaned back in the porch swing and thought about the barrage of questions his grandson had just hit him with.

Grandpa smiled and replied to his grandson, "Wow, let me think a minute, Tommy. No, I never had an action-figure way back then. You see, I was born before television, penicillin, polio shots, frozen foods, Xerox, contact lenses, frisbees and The Pill.

"There weren't things like radar, credit cards, laser beams or ball-point pens. Man had not
invented panty hose, dishwashers, clothes dryers, electric blankets or air conditioners,
and he hadn't walked on the moon.

"Your grandmother and I got married first; then lived together. Every family had a father and a mother, and every kid over 14 had a rifle that his dad taught him how to use and to respect. Until I was 25, I still called policemen, and every man, with a title: 'sir.'

"In our time, closets were for clothes, not for 'coming out of.' Sundays were set aside for going to church as a family, helping those in need and just visiting with your neighbor.

"We were before gay rights, computer dating, dual careers, day-care 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 and living here was a bigger privilege.

"We thought fast food was what you ate while running to the hay field to beat the rain that was coming. Having a meaningful relationship meant getting along with your cousins. Draft dodgers were people who closed their front doors when the evening breeze started. And time-sharing meant time the family spent together in the evenings and weekends, not condominiums.

"We never heard of FM radio, tape decks, CDs, electric typewriters, artificial hearts, word processors, yogurt or guys wearing earrings.

"We listened to the Big Bands, Jack Benny and the presidents' speeches on the radio. 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. Pizzas, McDonald's and
instant coffee were unheard of.

"We had 5 and 10 cent stores where you could actually buy things for 5 and 10 cents. Ice cream cones, phone calls, rides at the fair and a cold drink at the store were all a nickel. And, if you didn't want to 'splurge,' you could spend your nickel on a stamp to mail a letter and two 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, a 'chip' meant a piece of wood, 'hardware' was found in a hardware store and software was not even a word.

"We were not before the difference between the sexes was discovered, but we were surely before
the sex change. We were before 'Billy' had two mommies and before pornography was found
in a family home or at news-stands.

"No wonder people today call us old and confused. There is such a thing as a generation gap ~
and, Grandson, I'm only 60!!"

~ This story appeared in our local newspaper,
The Lebanon Democrat (Tennessee).
Author unknown

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