changes we,ve seen

[2manyrocks]

Yes, I know one that stashed a basement full of that stuff, but I believe he was the exception and not the norm in my community among his peers. However, I've been thinking about what you said.

It's an interesting that you said that the child rearing practices of those in the Great Depression/WWII era got us to the present day. It reminds me of that portion of the Old Testament that (as I remember) says the prior generation didn't teach the next one as they were instructed to teach them in Deut. 6:7.

If we could graph it, I'd think we'd see a graph of increasing media influence and declining faith influence affecting a population growing at an exponential rate.

I guess Sheryl Crow described it well when sang that song that said, "these are the days when anything goes."

 

[Bird]

Third, there were lurid images back then, too. As the old dudes die off, I get to clean out their houses from time to time. Guess what? They all had something stashed somewhere that had lurid images in it.

One day my Dad and I and my two younger brothers, in their early teens, were out in the backyard when my Dad called my brothers and said, "Your mother is a bit upset about finding a Playboy magazine under a mattress and told me to have a serious talk with you two about it." The two boys were standing there looking down at their feet. Now you'd have to have known my Dad to understand. The strongest language I ever heard him use was "Heck" once when I was 17, but he didn't believe in raising his voice or spanking children. He believed in just beatin' the you know what out of them and he did that quite often. But that evening, in talking to my brothers, he continued, "Don't let that happen again." Then he turned to me and said, with a grin and in a voice both brothers could hear, too, "I don't know what the world's coming to. They're bringing things right into the house that we used to have to read out behind the barn."

 

[crusty 1]

Thats too funny bird:laughing:,my dad had this look,didn,t have to say a word and you khew you,d be eatin supper standing!Brings back memories,some painful.Isin,t it amazing how not raising ones voice speaks even loader?Dave

 

[Redneck in training]

What I miss the most from the past is how everyone knew everyone in their neighborhood and spent a lot of time outdoors with them. Everyone stays indoors now, even the kids on their video games.

The only time we get to meet the neighbors now is when a hurricane knocks out the electricity during the summer and everyone has to come outside to cool off.

I sure don't miss all the trash dumps that were everywhere 50 years ago and I don't miss the 1960 cars.

The 12" black and white TV was a little hard to see but at least the whole family gathered around it together to watch Lucy's latest adventures. Now days everyone has their own TV or computer in their own room and hardly even see each other any more.

I read a research paper from some university several years back about the cause of people staying inside instead socializing with neighbors or strangers outside. People usually blame TV but the conclusion of the research was "Blame the air-conditioning." People used to sit on front porch sipping iced tea and talking to passers by.

Speaking about good old days. I was born few years after WW2. I think there were only few TVs in the whole village and even fewer cars by then. It was not easy to leave the village. Most adults (females and males) worked so we were raised by older kids we played with and then when we got older we raised the younger one. There was not a method in it. It all was kind of instinctive I suppose. We used to play with kids ranging from about 5 to 18 so I learned about smoking, drinking cheap alcohol, anatomy of some older guys (masturbation) and other things quite early in my age. Despite of all that most kids turned out well. Kids are smarter than we give them a credit and can tell what is good and what is bad. Do I miss the good old days? You bet. But only because I was 50 years younger.

 

[Bird]

I read a research paper from some university several years back about the cause of people staying inside instead socializing with neighbors or strangers outside. People usually blame TV but the conclusion of the research was "Blame the air-conditioning." People used to sit on front porch sipping iced tea and talking to passers by. Now they sit inside watching TV.

I'm sure I probably read the same thing. I know I heard that long ago, and it sure seems right to me. Of course, I actually think it was both the air-conditioning and TV. Everyone used to sit out on the front porch in the evening, neighbors would get together to visit, or you visited with people out for an evening walk. And now in town, how many houses even have a front porch? Very few in my area. The only ones you see with a front porch are either very old houses, or located out in the country.

 

[MossRoad]

... "I don't know what the world's coming to. They're bringing things right into the house that we used to have to read out behind the barn."

HA! Good thing I wasn't drinking a beverage or I would have done a spit take! :laughing:

Thanks for the morning laugh. :thumbsup:

 

[MossRoad]

I'm sure I probably read the same thing. I know I heard that long ago, and it sure seems right to me. Of course, I actually think it was both the air-conditioning and TV. Everyone used to sit out on the front porch in the evening, neighbors would get together to visit, or you visited with people out for an evening walk. And now in town, how many houses even have a front porch? Very few in my area. The only ones you see with a front porch are either very old houses, or located out in the country.

We have a front porch. It has nice window with screens on 3 sides and it is pleasant to sit out there in the evening. I got a small glider on it so I can sit out there with my two cats, swing my feet, and be nosey as to what's going on in my neighborhood. :laughing: We are fortunate in that we get along fine with 8 out of 9 of our direct neighbors. We talk over the fence quite often and watch each others' houses when someone goes out of town. Lately, my wife and I have been going for "power walks" (please pray for me) after dinner for about 45 minutes. There are some nice paved paths that go over to the airport and also a nice cemetery to walk in. We see few people out in the neighborhood when it is hot, though. I think you are on to something about the air conditioning.

 

[om21braz]

Keep 'em coming, as all these posts are enjoyable to read. My great-grandfather hauled sweet potatoes from just south of Winston-Salem, NC to Bluefield, WV in the 1930's. He said he would leave at midnight so not to get into much traffic going thru Winston-Salem - some things change - some things are still similiar. Quite a trip up the mountains back then in a one-ton truck.

 

[Bird]

I can only imagine what the roads to Bluefield, WV, were like in the 1930s. I've made many, many trips from Dallas to Bluefield & Princeton, WV, in the last 43 years and even in 1967 we had lots of narrow winding roads through the mountains. It certainly wasn't like the Interstate Highways all the way that we have now.

 

[Bird]

Perhaps the biggest change I've seen in my lifetime is the fact that I can remember when $1.50 an hour was a pretty good wage, and anyone who made $10k a year was quite wealthy. Our first house cost $12,250 and a $106 a month payment, including taxes and insurance was a strain on the budget.