THE NEW SHOPPING EXPERIENCE

Many people blame the older generation for the problems of today...

We didn't have the simple things of Televisions with remote control...

We didn't have the luxury of having more than three channels to watch...

If the President was on, that went that...

My Mom would have to take two Busses and a Train to go to work Monday thru Friday...

There were times if an opening came available she would walk me to the babysitter before she began her journey, otherwise add another bus or two...

Talk about waking up early...

The moment we learned to walk we walked most places being carried wasn't an option...

​​​​​​The only baby carriage looked like a bassinet on four big wheels that didn't turn with a slight nudge...

I remember when the Microwave Oven came out and my Dad brought one home and it stayed unplugged and in the box on the counter for 6 months because, we always just used the stove and the oven and we knew that it had to have been safer than some artificial cooking method that you can't put aluminum foil in...

Mom would mend our socks if it got a hole in it and we didn't get new socks until our feet grew...

​​​​​​We were familiar with the Milk Truck delivery a service other people had...

Mom always preferred to walk to the Store to get it on Saturday... 

Of course, I would have to go too...

We had choices back then we could take the Bus to School, Walk or Ride our Bike...

More often than not I'd ride my bike the 5 miles because, I could sleep a little later and still get to School before the Bus did and I'd be home before the other kids were dropped off...

Having several hours until someone else came home I'd ride my bike across town after I did my homework, drop a dime in the pay phone to call my Mom after 7 in the evening because, I knew she should be home by then...

If no one answered I'd get my dime back...

I almost had my first heart attack when the call cost twenty-five cents...

I called the phone company and I stated my point that I gave them at least five dollars a week for years and they still only gave three minutes...

They did eventually change it to five minutes but, those phones were a whole dollar...

A friend of mine told me not to call the phone company again because, she was afraid what they would do next...

Now, the phone booths are few and far between and you have to almost have to have a cell phone and now more companies get a  much bigger piece of the pie...

I would hop on my bike and start to ride home...

I would find another pay phone and try it again...

If Mom answered I would tell her where I was and when I would be home...

She would say dinner is ready if you're hungry if not I will put it away...

I had a lot of independence and I wasn't even 10 years old...

​​​​​We didn't have play dates we just went outside and if there were other kids out maybe a friendship would start...

If I was on my bike I was leaving  the Neighborhood unless it was cold, windy, and raining...

Of course, kids weren't really out in that weather...

You had better luck finding a friend in a Blizzard...

But, then most kids had to shovel walkways and driveways as a part of earning their keep...

We didn't have snow blowers or ice melt...

People can blame us I suppose because there were factories and other jobs that people have died from...

We were exposed to asbestos and lead paint...

We learned about things when the Government got bigger and more rules were set in place...

As much as some rules made sense many other rules made no sense...

Life was very different back then, you actually had to talk to people either on the phone or face to face...

You could write letters, put them in an envelope and put postage and drop it in a mailbox in town...

I thought it was crazy when stamps went up to 11 cents...

We didn't have push button phones back then and there was someone who had to plug us in when we needed to make a call...

Sometimes, we would end up with a party line and we wouldn't be able to make a call...

People would talk about not gossiping but, when you hear two People talking to each other about what Helen did it definitely peaked curiosity...

I almost hoped they could hear me like I could hear them so they would say we're not alone...

Kid hang up the Phone!

But, they couldn't hear me so, not my fault...

There was no typing to each other to say ttyl or any 1, 3, or even 4 letter codes...

People didn't have Cyber Stranger danger, fear, or Internet crimes to create an added concern...

If a kid was going to see something it was either a Magazine on a shelf or something your Brother had and you sneaked a peek wishing you hadn't...

Ewww!

Every generation has their faults...

Hugs...

sparrowsong