In the line at the store, the cashier told the older woman that plastic bags weren't good for the environment. The woman apologized to her and explained, "We didn't have the green thing back in my day."

That's right, they didn't have the green thing in her day. Back then, they returned their milk bottles, Coke bottles and beer bottles to the store. The store sent them back to the plant to be washed and sterilized and refilled, using the same bottles over and over. So they really were recycled. But they didn't have the green thing back her day.

In her day, they walked up stairs, because they didn't have an escalator in every store and office building. They walked to the grocery store and didn't climb into a 300-horsepower machine every time they had to go two blocks. But she's right. They didn't have the green thing in her day.

Back then, they washed the baby's diapers because they didn't have the throw-away kind. They dried clothes on a line, not in an energy gobbling machine burning up 220 volts - wind and solar power really did dry the clothes. Kids got hand-me-down clothes from their brothers or sisters, not always brand-new clothing. But that old lady is right, they didn't have the green thing back in her day.

Back then, they had one TV, or radio, in the house - not a TV in every room. And the TV had a small screen the size of a pizza dish, not a screen the size of the state of Montana. In the kitchen, they blended and stirred by hand because they didn't have electric machines to do everything for you. When they packaged a fragile item to send in the mail, they used wadded up newspaper to cushion it, not Styrofoam or plastic bubble wrap. But she's right, they didn't have the green thing back then.

Back then, they didn't fire up an engine and burn gasoline just to cut the lawn. They used a push mower that ran on human power. They exercised by working so they didn't need to go to a health club to run on treadmills that operate on electricity. But she's right, they didn't have the green thing back then.

They drank from a fountain when they were thirsty, instead of using a cup or a plastic bottle every time they had a drink of water. They refilled pens with ink, instead of buying a new pen, and they replaced the razor blades in a razor instead of throwing away the whole razor just because the blade got dull. But they didn't have the green thing back then.

Back then, people took the streetcar and kids rode their bikes to school or rode the school bus, instead of turning their moms into a 24-hour taxi service. They had one electrical outlet in a room, not an entire bank of sockets to power a dozen appliances. And they didn't need a computerized gadget to receive a signal beamed from satellites 22,000 miles out in space in order to find the nearest pizza joint. But that old lady is right. They didn't have the green thing back in her day.

Amen!

Ain't that the truth.

BCR

and when we had dandilions in the lawn?
Grandpa made wine!

Dang, I remember most of that stuff "back then."

How about this one--when a kid had a crooked tooth or two, they didn't rush down to the orthodontist and spend hundreds or thousands of dollars on braces. They said, "how about that, his teeth are a little crooked."

How come every kid yoy know these days gets braces at one time or another?

*snort*

Travel was a luxury, electricity wasn't taken for granted, air conditioning wasn't common, and who'd ever heard of a plastic: I-Pod, cell phone, Blackberry, etc.

That reminded me so much of my Mom,.....and growing up years,

thanks, Terry !

GTC

That brings back a lot of memories!

Don't forget the one ring tone and it sounded like a phone!

Terry,

Excellent reminder of the way things were. And how different, but not better, things are now.

Thanks.

Steve

I'm digging around looking for a picture of our old green Push Mower,........

My older bros and I used to time each other for a "run" across the enormous (or so it seemed to me) lawn.

GTC

Or, different rings because you were on a party line. miles

When i bought my house there were 2 or 3 ringer boxes in different rooms and 1 phone jack in the kitchen. When the phone rang in the kitchen the ringer boxes upstairs would ring too, but the only phone was down in the kitchen.

I'm Guessen all that is true.

new go green riding mower

very good TLee

great post but thats just goin back to the late 60's to mid 70's

I must be old! I remember those days well. Milkman used to come every other day. I worked as a carryout in a grocery store in high school and people used to return their empty pop bottles. Same thing with cases of empty beer bottles at the liquor store. We only had paper bags and used to use the empty food boxes for peoples groceries. First thing you asked people in the store was "boxes or bags"? Had to walk or ride my bike over a mile to school until I got a car. Even when it was -20F. Just "bundled up". Still remember some graffiti from the mens room in the basement of that grocery store. Above the urinal someone scrawled "Don't throw butts in the urinal. It makes them soggy and hard to light. Ken F." Ken F. was the store doofus at the time.

I got lucky in that my town was a bit behind the times. We had one phone, no fancy answering machine. You only had to dial the last 4 numbers to call in town. I got hand-me-downs from my older brother. Course I had to eat smoked salmon sandwiches for lunch everyday because we were too poor to buy lunch meat.... But the jars got re-used every year. I rode my bike everywhere because my mom wasn't my personal taxi. Most days she walked to work anyway. When the weather turned bad in the winter I had to take the bus.

It's interesting that you senior citizens, don't like the ways of today, but you sure love the devices such as computers, cellphones, and other high-tech items etc.

That along with high-tech medical procedures and medicines that keep the majority of you alive daily. You need to be thankful for a medical scientist/doctor, that had the desire to develope a new drug or procedure, that was above how they did it in the good old days, as you claim.

The majority of you talk the talk, but wouldn't go back to a more physical or lower standard of living. Stop taking your meds, you can go back to those days. You enjoy the push-button lifestyle, that we have in todays times. The past isn't returning, it never has. We have to move forward in technology, science, etc.

TLEE was just reminiscing. No need to get all huffy.

I moved out of a tent after two winters in the Pac NW.

I now live in a 420 sq ft house w/o indoor plumbing and only power from a small solar and wind system. We heat and cook with wood and I cut, split and carry it. I take no medicines, have no insurance. I find your assumptions insulting. HOW MUCH MORE DO YOU WANT TO TAKE AWAY FROM ME.

We have a bingo!

And I watched Papaw file those helical blades on that mower, then he put my young ass to work.
Wish I could go back sometime.

Gunner

This has to be the stupidest post I've seen in some time.

And that's saying something.

No one said anything about doing away with technology. The point was, the younger generation always thinks they collectively invented "it," whatever it happens to be. And they didn't.

The other point being, the younger generation can always learn from the older generation. If they'd just pull their heads outta their collective asses long enough.

Here's a good example. People always wanna talk about a "SHTF" scenario, and what they'd do if the "SHTF."

Truth is, by depending on schit like cell phones and modern medicine, we've put ourselves over a barrel because if/when all the infrastructure collapses in a "SHTF" scenario and that modern schit stops working, people who depend on it will be up the proverbial creek.

And the people who'll be best off are the Amish, and all the others that don't depend on all this modern crap. The people who still know how to do things without modern technology, like the old lady in TLee's post.

Anyway, excellent post, T.

Look at the source...nuff said.

He live in his fancy house and looks down on others who have less.

Typical of a tiny percentage of LEOs who think themselves gods and other no better than dog feces on the bottom of their shoes.

Also noted for having no sense of humor. Note the dump he took on what was before hand a great post.

You CLAIM to be all of 50 years old .

How interesting,...a FIFTY YEAR OLD PUNK.

Consider the source dittos,......this "Hunter1960" is a DESK at the SPLC "Dept of Computer Harassment" or some other such Orwellian TRASH......with any number of dweebs, and twerps, and other assorted corksockers sitting and typing drivel.

He [bleep]' sure ain't a MAN.

GTC

Good post. Point well made. Those that have had it easy all their life have no real idea what life was/is like for others not so fortunate.

Spent 37 years in the LEO business and unfortunately we had our share of those. The more money you throw their way the bigger a legend they become. As Clint Eastwood said in the movie about people being a legend - in their own mind. I worked for one chief who probably wouldn't have had 6 pallbearers if he'd have died. Especially not 6 from the department. Pompus AZZ! Took great pride in ruining other people's careers and futures.

Thank goodness for progress.

Worked to wash those bottles at a Pepsi plant for awhile; sure missed the ten-cent deposit when trash thrown out was no longer easily turned for cash. (Of course, the 100% deposit seemed a bit steep sometimes.) Can recall Mom telling another person to stop listening to the party-line conversation. What an upgrade to move to town where two digits gave us our own phone number. (Took awhile to get used to a pre-fix; "It ain't long distance for Pete's Sake!") Got no use for cell phones, iPods, etc. Glad we've moved beyond CB radios; like VHF marine radios. Prefer telephone to SSB radio. Love the GPS, and prefer the kind that allow one to place names with places; much better than the kind that allowed all of 32 waypoints, each with a number you kept in a notebook. Antibiotics are great. Life is good. So's technology.

We got $.03 per Coke bottle, used to collect 'em and get the deposit. I had four older brothers growing up, I don't think I ever had a piece of clothing that wasn't a hand-me-down until I was about 12. When I tell my sons that, it just don't register.