[at-l] Long and way off topic-phones etc.

[Jim Bullard]

The 1900s went from horse & buggy to space travel. In the not too distant
future the technological wonders of today will be nostalgic memories too.

On Nov 16, 2007 12:11 PM, <pudscrawler at aol.com> wrote:

> Thank you, Drifter.
>
> It is a wonderment to me how what we took for granted then can be such
> trasured memories today that we are all pitching in.  I guess there is a
> lesson in that.
>
> Your message was a delight as have been each of the others in this thread.
>
> Kinnickinic
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: cvano at tmail.com
> To: at-L at backcountry.net
> Sent: Fri, 16 Nov 2007 11:44 am
> Subject: [at-l] Long and way off topic-phones etc.
>
>  The Good Ole Days.
>
> I started life on a farm just outside of Kansas City, MO.  I don't think
> we had a phone at all until we moved to CA in 55.  It was black and on
> the wall.  Our exchange was MEtcalf while 10 miles away was NEmark.
> BTW, that's why there are still letters on the number pad (dial).  Same
> numbers (63) so it was long distance and required an operator.  No cell
> phones glued to ears then while driving, checking out at the grocers, or
> taking a crap.  Everyone either hollered or talked over the fence or
> just face to face.  Everybody would sit in the kitchen and smoke and
> drink coffee and talk.  You knew and talked to your neighbors back then
> and nobody ever locked their doors and you left the car keys in the
> ignition so you knew where they were.  The milkman and mailman would
> almost always stop at our house for a while and the breadman always had
> a fresh glazed doughnut for me.  People were actually friendly to one
> another and not scared of strangers.  Things have changed, some for the
> better.  You never saw a black person in my neighborhood or if you did
> you called the cops.  If you acted up, whoever caught you would give you
> a spanking on the spot.  This was expected and encouraged.  If you were
> really bad, you had to go cut your own switch and bring it back.  TV
> (all 7 channels in LA) only broadcast from 8AM till 11PM.  There was a
> payphone (5¢) on every corner right next to the cigarette machine (20¢)
> and the paper cost a dime... delivered.  If you lost your nickle in the
> payphone, the would mail it back to you first class (3¢).  Course
> airmail had special red and blue stripes on the envelope and cost a lot
> more.  You went camping with a green canvas cabin tent that required
> elephants to move, cooked on a Coleman stove, and lit the Coleman
> lantern and slept on a cot.  You had to have big Redwing waterproof
> boots, flannel, and an Army surplus pack.  You fed the bears so they
> would come closer to the car!  Rangers led campfires with talks, slide
> shows, and sing alongs.  They didn't act like cops then.  You drank
> right out of the stream or garden hose and never gave it a thought.
> Water didn't come in bottles and it was free.  Didn't cost more than gas
> (20¢ a gallon full service which included 3 guys in white with bow ties
> who checked under the hood, cleaned the windows, and checked tire
> pressure.)  Everyone hitch hiked.  If a car was stopped along side of
> the highway, you stopped too, to help.  Big, folding paper maps were
> free at the service station.  I don't know how we ever survived without
> cell phones, the internet, (we had a Sears and Roebuck ~ whatever
> happened to him? ~ catalog) GPS, or OnStar.  Sputnik!  Bomb shelters.
> Duck and cover.  School started every day with the flag salute.  If a
> woman worked, she was either a telephone operator or a nurse.  Usually
> she stayed home and cooked or vacuumed, in high heals and pearls, while
> smiling!  Home perms.  The seam in the back of her hose.  Captain
> Kangeroo!  Lassie!  Disneyland opened!  Airplanes lost their
> propellers.  You had to wind the clock (and your watch) before you went
> to bed.  If you made a dollar an hour, it was considered Good Money and
> you could support your family on it.  One income.  Ah, those were the
> days.  Ok, this is way too long and I'm gonna be late for work if I
> don't stop.
> Beyond this point
> There be dragons...
>
> Chris ~ S/V Drifter
> Anacortes, WA. ~~~_/) ~~~
>
>
-- 
Jim Bullard
http://jims-ramblings.blogspot.com/
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: http://patsy.hack.net/pipermail/at-l/attachments/20071116/6271df8d/attachment.html