How old is Grandpa?

[Southern Breeze]

I got this in my e-mail today. It makes you realize how much progress has been made in recent years.


How old is Grandpa???



Stay with this -- the answer is at the end. It will blow you away.

One evening a grandson was talking to his grandfather about current events.
The grandson asked his grandfather what he thought about the shootings at schools, the computer age, and just things in general.

The Grandfather 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

' clothes dryers
' and the clothes were hung out to dry in the fresh air and

' man hadn't yet walked on the moon


Your Grandmother 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 me, "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

We thought fast food was what people ate during Lent.

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 weekends-not purchasing condominiums.

We 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.

And I don't ever remember any kid blowing his brains out listening to Tommy Dorsey.

If you saw anything with 'Made in Japan ' on it, 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 had 5 &10-cent stores 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.

And if you didn't want to splurge, you could spend your nickel on enough stamps to mail 1 letter and 2 postcards.

You could buy a new Chevy Coupe for $600, . . . but who could afford one?
Too bad, because gas was 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... and how old do you think I am?

I bet you have this very old man in mind...you are in for a shock!

Read on to see -- pretty scary if you think about it and pretty sad at the same time.

This man would be only 59 years old!!!

[auld argonian]

Not to pick nits but you threw me at "contact lenses"...they've been around an awful long time...at least since the twenties...although I think that they were not in general use but rather used for serious optical problems.

http://www.firstscience.com/SITE/edi...s_06022004.asp

Having worn the things since i was twelve years old and being 52 right now it just didn't sound right.

Best

AA

[David Dalglish]

Yes I am 61 years old & can relate to most of that.
My granson came in the other day & said, Grandad, can you make a sound like a frog, bemused, I said why-he said, my dad said that when you croak we are all going to Florida. ( just a little joke)

[Kilted KT]

I don't even have to go back that far...and I'm only 30...

stuff that wasn't around for general use...

Cd's
Cell phones
computers ( of just about any kind )
the internet
wireless remote controls
digital television
DVD's
5.1 channel stereo
wireless telephones
lightsabers ( still working on that one)

[Caradoc]

I don't even have to go back that far...and I'm only 30...

I'm 35, and I can remember seeing the signs at the grocery store and the bank when I was very young that read, "PLEASE CHECK YOUR SIDEARM WITH THE MANAGER."

Phoenix was still fairly agrarian then, and on the outskirts you'd see guys in boots and jeans walking bowlegged after being on horseback all day, and wearing their guns - which got used on a regular basis for coyote, snake, javelina, and two-legged rats out to steal cattle.

These days, the sidearms aren't all that common, but a lot of people still carry a folding knife (whether on their person, or in their car).

In some areas, if one's car breaks down on one of the state highways, it could be as much as a week before another car comes through. Carrying water and a good knife is not just a good idea if you're off the beaten path - it's a necessity.

I got my first CD player for graduation from high school.

I do remember selling some of the first Motorola "cellular" phones while I was doing my stint at Radio Shack, though. The things were called "bricks" for good reason. A woman brought one in once to get the antenna replaced after breaking a would-be mugger's jaw with it. It worked fine once we replaced the antenna. She hadn't even remembered the phone was in her purse when she swung it at him.

[Kilted KT]

I remember up into my teens listening to music on records, both LP's and 45's...and the first remote I had for the TV was a big box with a button for each channel, and a big cable running to the television.

[Caradoc]

I remember up into my teens listening to music on records, both LP's and 45's...and the first remote I had for the TV was a big box with a button for each channel, and a big cable running to the television.

The first remote control I can recall on one of my parents' TVs was a two-button gadget with two tuned rods in it. You'd push the button, and a spring-loaded clapper would hit the rod, and depending on the frequency it would change the channel up or change the volume up, until it hit maximum and cycled back down to minimum.

[Kilted KT]

The first remote control I can recall on one of my parents' TVs was a two-button gadget with two tuned rods in it. You'd push the button, and a spring-loaded clapper would hit the rod, and depending on the frequency it would change the channel up or change the volume up, until it hit maximum and cycled back down to minimum.

you got me there...

[Colin]

I remember people smoking in restaurants, shopping malls, and even airplanes.

My first walkman was made out of metal and is likely still working, while the dozen or so I have had sense are in the trash heap.

Our TV didn't have a remote, and our first VCR was the give away for that 1980 malibu my Dad bought.

I remember when you could have a fire on the beach and a glass of wine with a picnic.

I remember when stories were how you heard about things, and the News only came on in the morning and at 6 pm (not all day).

I remember when family members had more sway in a person's decision than a celebrity did.

I remeber when Big Wheels were for kids and not monster trucks, and A&W burgers were as big as my head.

and I am only 29

[Kilted KT]

the first "boom boxes" were just being sold...and breakdancing was a cool new thing...

and piling into the car and going to the drive-in was the fun thing to do...