How life has changed

Every now and then things happen that suddenly remind me I have crossed forty and the world I grew up in doesn't exist any longer. Now being a teacher I have always considered myself fairly in tun with the treads, and the lingo. However I find myself using words to describe things that no longer exist. Here are some examples:

Music

Music used to be pressed on these amazing black vinyl circles. The albums covers's were works of art in and of themselves. They listed the songs on the back and often the words....you could sing along! Cranking up the stereo was the ONLY way to listen to Rock and Roll.

Now music is downloaded and sits on my little IPod which I listen to with ear plugs. No more shared music . No more, "Crank that one up?" No more dancing with your partner because the song moves you to dance. Now the only time I get to crank it up is on the car radio-and there is no one to dance with their either!

Friends

When I was a kid we had friends and they were outside. You pedaled your bike through the neighborhood ate lunch at whoever's house you landed at around noon, and made it home before the street lights went on. All the neighbors watched out for all the kids and if you messed up they didn't mind telling you right then and there. And when you got home...you were in big trouble. The adults believed each other!

Trouble

If you got in trouble at school-you were in more trouble at home. Now it's "My bad" or "She hates me"

Hanging out

Remember how we just all ended up at somebodies house? I now set up "play dates" for my son. You have to check on the child's parents and make sure they have no criminal record. If you dare let you kid ride through the neighborhood they have to call when the get there. Now, we schedule swimming lessons, soccer teams, and educational activities. The one summer I tried to Not schedule things I found out the kids in the neighborhood were not home because they were going to their lessons.

T.V's used to have 3 channels and you actually got off the sofa to change the channel.

Telephone had dials where you got to twirl numbers around a disk when making calls. The longer the cord the better. You could pull it into the bathroom so your older brother couldn't hear you. The phone rang-no music or special sound effects just a plain old ring. If you were not home -no one answered the phone. If it was important they called you back.

Paychecks were actually printed on paper and you went to the bank to cash them. Cash remember that thing we used before Debit cards? Somehow actually holding the cash made it seem like you earned real money!

Now I love technology-it is after all my job. But every now and then I miss the sound of a typewriter, the smell of those purple dittos and going to a drive in movie. I guess that makes me offically old!

Check out the video below- it shows stuff even older than me! My how things have changed!