[at-l] Long and way off topic-phones etc.
Gary Roberts
GRoberts at npr.org
Fri Nov 16 11:48:43 CST 2007
HOW OLD ARE YOU??? Lol I remember all those days, except for the donut.
-----Original Message-----
From: at-l-bounces at backcountry.net [mailto:at-l-bounces at backcountry.net] On Behalf Of cvano at tmail.com
Sent: Friday, November 16, 2007 11:45 AM
To: at-L at backcountry.net
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. ~~~_/) ~~~
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