YESTERDAYS FEW KNOW

I have gotten old. Eighty two in less than a week. Some recent experiences brought the fact clearly to mind.

I stopped into Verizon to learn how to wi-fi through my cell phone. The young lady working was also babysitting her two children. Six and eight. Summertime.  The Verizon store their day camp that day.

The kids were playing with their cell phones. I mentioned how smart kids are today. Laptops, cell phones, etc.

Mom agreed. She said she remembered when all she had was a flip phone. I would say she was in her late 20’s.

I immediately thought…..If she only knew!

I was born in 1935.

In the late 1930’s into the first part of the 1940’s, our phone was the corner grocer. No one had telephones, except business people. the grocer took calls for the block.

If a call came for my father, the grocer (his name was Frank) would go out on the street and yell…..Tell John he has a call! Someone would transfer the message to my Dad or to another neighbor to relate.

Then we got a telephone. A four party line. Meant four homes had the same line. If you picked up and heard talking, you hung up till the line was free.

We graduated to a two party line. Then the time came when the only line was ours. We had a private line.

A big deal!

Cell phones did not make an appearance till my mid law practice years. Big and bulky.

The phones got smaller. I recall the flip top.

I am absolutely amazed that my cell phone today is in effect a computer. I can do everything with it.

Only took eighty two years!

When I am gone, will anyone remember?

I was surprised to read recently that typewriters are making a come back. People join together with their vintage machines and have Type-Ins.

I took a typewriting course in high school. My parents bought me a new portable for college. A Smith-Corona. Part of the Super 5 Series. Portable.

Used it all the time in college. Term papers!

Ribbons to change. Always ended up with dirty fingers. Carbon paper for copies. Dirty fingers again. A mistake had to be corrected. A bit of erasing and whiting over.

Now, vintage typing parties!

Even writing came into play this week. Cursive writing. Handwriting.

I write. I can write my name and everything else.

No big deal for me. I learned in the first grade. It was called Palmer Method.

I mentioned earlier this week that at Dueling Bartenders monday night two young ladies sat next to me. At best in their late 20s.

They saw me making notes about our conversation. They said/asked…..You can cursive write?

They could not. They could not even write their names. Both had college degrees. Into well paying jobs. However, Bush 2’s no child left behind made them computer genius. But, not hand writers.

They were impressed I could write!

I have a lot more for today. However, I shall save it for another time.

Enjoy your day!

 

6 comments on “YESTERDAYS FEW KNOW

  1. Lou, Is it possible these 2 girls were pulling your leg? I thibk you need to be able to write your name to endorse checks, sign your drivers license, etc.

  2. You never listened in on the party line ?! That was the way get all the neighborhood gossip.

    I remember those days of party lines, carbon paper, typewriters, [still have one],etc. I learned to fly using pilotage/deadreckoning/ celestial navigation and radio signals long before Loran and GPS made it simple. Some call them the good ole days. We had fun I guess because we didn’t know any better.

    I started school in the 50s. I’ve previously mentioned we were not taught to write. I still print. Not that we can’t write, its just kinda illegible. I enjoy seeing good handwriting.

  3. Louis,

    I think I commented on this site about cursive a few years ago.

    Cursive was a way in which a person could quickly get their thoughts down on paper. Block letters being the standard though. Books, newspapers, text shown on TV, etc.,…all block letters. Easily readable.

    Once keyboards came to be, cursive became less and less a need for speed. More a subject for nostalgia.

    I don’t use cursive anymore, other than my signature, and I was taught in the 1950s and early 60s, so I appreciate your feelings about it.

    I just don’t see a need to teach it to young people anymore. When would they really use it? And, the time spent teaching it can be put to better use, educating the kids on current subjects that help them become contributing members of society.

    On a similar subject of geezer-hood…none of my children or grand-children can drive a car with a stick shift transmission.

  4. Just had dinner recently with former dean of students at Syracuse University law school. He now owns an Italian restaurant in town and likes to sing the old Italian songs. Good voice and good guy.

    Tom brought up geezer-hood and stick shifts. My every day [good weather/summer] car is a 1931. Non-sychronized transmission [ double clutch], manual choke, manual spark, mechanical brakes. [ Also a 1941 Indian motorcycle], Most have no idea how to work them. Times have certainly changed regarding most things. I’m not sure whether thats been completely good or not.

  5. Dumbing Down of America is what the libs have done to our public school system. I hate the way it is now. I will never ever teach in it again.

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