You Know You Are Old When

[WinterDeere]

YKYO if you ever sent off for a secret decoder ring
Guilty

The Little Orphan Annie?

 

[not2old]

I suspect that may have been a regional thing, or even varying by a particular doctor's practice or hospital. All of the older women in my family have/had a scar on the upper bicep, which I remember them telling me as a polio vaccine scar.

Most people I know have this vaccination scar on their shoulder but mine is on the outside of my elbow. Don't know why.

 

[bigtiller]

I suspect that may have been a regional thing, or even varying by a particular doctor's practice or hospital. All of the older women in my family have/had a scar on the upper bicep, which I remember them telling me as a polio vaccine scar.

I thought the sugar cube thing was for polio and the shot that left all of us a scar on the upper arm was for smallpox.

Do I have it backwards? It wouldn't be the first time.

 

[jyoutz]

I thought the sugar cube thing was for polio and the shot that left all of us a scar on the upper arm was for smallpox.

Do I have it backwards? It wouldn't be the first time.

I have the smallpox vaccine scar on my upper arm. I vaguely remember the sugar cube for polio vaccine.

 

[bigtiller]

I have the smallpox vaccine scar on my upper arm. I vaguely remember the sugar cube for polio vaccine.

I liked the sugar cube thing. It was the only time we got a treat between classes.

Get caught chewing gum during school hours and your sent to the principals office.

 

[WinterDeere]

I thought the sugar cube thing was for polio and the shot that left all of us a scar on the upper arm was for smallpox.

Do I have it backwards? It wouldn't be the first time.

You're probably right! It was already a historic note, by the time I was asking such questions in the 1970's.

I do recall learning about the early polio vaccines, Joseph Salk's injected version, versus Sabin's "live virus" on a sugar cube version. But I never had either. It's very likely the scars were smallpox vaccine, and even that I was told as much, but I've since conflated the two in my own mind.

 

[dougtrr2]

Vicks and Mercurochrome can cure anything.

Don't leave out the wet paper towels the school nurses used. You could have a broken arm with the bone sticking out and all they could do was put a wet paper towel on your forehead.

Doug in SW IA

 

[Gem99ultra]

Western auto was one of my fondest memories as a kid and I still remember the look and feel of the store and kindly remember the owner. If he knew you well, he might--might--let you carefully look close--but not touch-- the pump shotguns in the rack.

Western auto in it's later years started to carry lower quality products and novelty things and I think tha combo helped do them in.

In saving for a set of golf clubs at age 10 or so, it was a laborious process because I had to cut lawns and return bottles for the $$. The owner watched me save little by little and as I got close he said he would sell them to me at his cost if I didn't tell anyone. No sir. $35.00 +/-

Now, it's a pool hall.

I also have great memories of Western Auto. At age 14 I had snagged a high paying job ($0.85/hr) as a janitor for a local chemical company. Needing transportation to get to work after school, I needed a bicycle in the worst way. The manager of our local Western Auto sold me a beautiful Schwinn cruiser for $54, on a handshake. I promised to pay $5.00 a week until it was paid off, which I did.

Yes, I have great memories of that bicycle. But I have greater memories of people back in the day that put more trust in a handshake than on a written pieces of paper.

Sadly, now days both the honored promise on a handshake and a $54 Schwinn a simply fading memories do days gone by.

 

[WinterDeere]

Don't leave out the wet paper towels the school nurses used. You could have a broken arm with the bone sticking out and all they could do was put a wet paper towel on your forehead.

My elementary school nurse had the most finely-tuned and well-exercised BS meter I've ever encountered. She must've had decades of dealing with kids who suddenly "don't feel well", just before an exam or a project due date.

 

[Oaktree]

I suspect that may have been a regional thing, or even varying by a particular doctor's practice or hospital. All of the older women in my family have/had a scar on the upper bicep, which I remember them telling me as a polio vaccine scar.

It could have been. From what I was told, girls/women were more likely to wear a sleeveless top so the rationale was to put it on their thigh where the scar was less likely to be seen. This was well before miniskirts, hotpants, etc.
In retrospect, it didn't make much sense...back then shorts were considered children's clothes...pretty rare to see a grown man or even older boys wearing them in public in the 50s or 60s. Even today men's shorts aren't generally much above knee length so the scar wouldn't likely be seen on a thigh anyway.