How Old is Grandma?
By: Gabriel Goldberg Source: AARP.org Date Posted: 2005-05-18 14:11:00-04:00
Gabriel Goldberg
Several of my relatives recently moved to Washington from California. I enjoy having an aunt, her son (my cousin), his wife, and their six-year old son nearby. So I'm enjoying being in the generational sandwich, talking to my aunt about my childhood and times before I was born, and with my young cousin about today's childhood world. I've told him how toys have changed and how much of what he takes for granted didn't exist in my childhood time.
The Internet is a source of wisdom and humor, and everything in between. The following gem, from unknown online sources, illustrates the changes witnessed by our generation.
One evening, a boy was talking to his grandmother about current events. Then he asked his grandmother what she thought about shootings at schools, the computer age, and things in general. The Grandma replied, "Well, let me think a minute. I was born before television, penicillin, polio shots, frozen foods, Xerox, contact lenses, Frisbees and the pill."
"There were no credit cards, laser beams or ball-point pens. Man had not invented pantyhose, air conditioners, dishwashers, or clothes dryers (clothes were hung out to dry in the fresh air). And of course man had yet to walk on the moon."
"Your grandfather 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 I, '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."
"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 on weekends, not purchasing condominiums."
"We'd 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."
"If you saw anything with 'Made in Japan' on it, you thought 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 shopped at a Five and Dime Store 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. If you wanted to splurge, you could spend your nickel on enough stamps to mail one letter and two postcards."
"You could buy a new Chevy Coupe for $600, but who could afford one? Too bad, because gas cost 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!"
So, how old is Grandma?
Grandma is only 58 — she was born in 1946!
It's amazing to consider how vastly more things will change over the next 58 years, or even in just 10 or 15 years.
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