How old is Grandpa?

[Brian D]

How Old Is Grandpa? Or Grandma

Stay with this - the answer is at the end. It may 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.
· The pill.

There were no:
· Credit cards.
· Laser beams.
· Ball-point pens.

Man had not invented :
· Pantyhose.
· Air conditioners.
· Dishwashers.
· Clothes dryers.
· The clothes were hung out to dry in the fresh air.
· Space travel was only in Flash Gordon books.

· 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 woman older than me, "mam”.
· 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 Bible, 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 eating half a biscuit while running to catch the school bus.
· Having a meaningful relationship meant getting along with your cousins.
· 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 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 Ford 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.
· "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.
· "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.

How old do you think I am?

I bet you have this 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 .

Are you ready?

This man would be 74 years old today.(2021)

GIVES YOU SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT. PASS THIS ON TO THE OLD ONES, The younger generation would not understand.

 

[BlowMeAway]

Only 74? Where was he buying his gasoline?

 

[Brian D]

Only 74? Where was he buying his gasoline?

In some places, like rural America, prices could have been that low. The average in '47 was around 23¢.

 

[rgranger]

When an ice box required actual ice..

 

[danm1]

Well, I am 71 and remember 15 cent gas when I was was around 18. On the other hand, many of the cultural references above are ridiculous. Reefer was legal when my parents were kids, regardless of what it was called, and Coke was actually in Coke. The Rosenberg's weren't the only commies or socialists. There were also Wobblies..And it is safe to say that younger generations didn't invent unsafe sex.

 

[BlowMeAway]

In some places, like rural America, prices could have been that low. The average in '47 was around 23¢.

Yeah, I suppose that could be true like in places such as Titusville, Pa. I was thinking that the Ford Model A came into mass production around the late 1920’s early 30’s when Gasoline was in demand, and perhaps around 11 cents a gallon. I would think that gas would have been higher in ‘47 after WWII. My estimate is that Grandpa was embellishing a bit to his millennial punk of a Grandson.

 

[Leeward Rail]

On the other hand, many of the cultural references above are ridiculous. Reefer was legal when my parents were kids, regardless of what it was called, and Coke was actually in Coke. The Rosenberg's weren't the only commies or socialists. There were also Wobblies..And it is safe to say that younger generations didn't invent unsafe sex.

Exactly.


"I don't ever remember any kid blowing his brains out listening to Tommy Dorsey"
Rezso Seress wrote the song "Vége a világnak" in 1933 and reportedly 100 people committed suicide. (of course some people always ignore that outside factors are the real reason, and blame things on music)

"instant coffee were unheard of"
Dissolvable Instant coffee dates to the late 1800s. A coffee/sugar/milk "instant" mix was used in the civil war.

"living in this country was a bigger privilege"
The people who's ancestors actually lived in North America originally and forced onto reservations, and the ones who's ancestors were brought on ships in chains, then treated like crap after the end of slavery would likely laugh at this.
Immigrants from Europe likely would agree of course.

"We never heard of ... guys wearing earings"
There is evidence that shows the practice of men wearing earrings predates biblical times. Otzi the Iceman, the oldest European mummy known to date and who was thought to have died in 3300 BC, was discovered wearing an earring.
...and of course sailors wore them..

"Our lives were governed by the Bible, 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."

Beside how laughable those statements are for people in general.. ...when combined, it really makes me laugh when you consider religious "authorities" have long done horrible things and often tried to cover them up and avoid taking responsibility.
It is only in recent years, that those religious authorities have been held accountable.


Every family had a father and a mother.
ROFL. And orphanages, baby boxes, were not a thing.. hehe.


I think any Grandpa who told this story lived in a cave or was outright delusional.

 

[Brian D]

@Leeward Rail, you never walked to school, 10 miles, in the snow, barefoot, uphill in both directions? It was fun to read. Who cares about accuracy?

 

[Leeward Rail]

@Leeward Rail, you never walked to school, 10 miles, in the snow, barefoot, uphill in both directions?

4 miles round trip twice a day (1.5 for elementary), occasionally in as cold as -40 but usually -20 to -25 in winter Bicycle in summer. Flat as a pancake.
I had good boots but like every other kid I was too "cool" to wear them at school. Stupidly often walked very fast in runners, with my toque/knitted cap in my pocket so I didn't mess my hair. Not good judgement or common sense there. LOL. Eventually I learned.

I tell people under 40,.who seemed to take a bus, or get a ride...they were wimps.

 

[rgranger]

In all honesty, I remember X-country skiing to elementary school for 3rd and 4th grades (Minnesota). It was awesome and I looked forward to a good blizzard so I could get my skis out.

 

[Leeward Rail]

X-country skiing to elementary school for 3rd and 4th grades (Minnesota).

Nice ! That would have been fun.

Did you walk home at the end of the day on the snow banks beside the road, pretending the ground was lava ?

 

[rgranger]

pretending the ground was lava ?

 

[Will Gilmore]

I'm only 15 years younger than that guy and many of those things he mentioned were well integrated into my upbringing. I grew up on television, central air and frozen foods. I knew a few kids who's parents were divorced and I walked the mile to and from school in first grade. Bussing started the next year so I went to school in the school that was the farthest from my house, passing two other schools to get there.

-Will

 

[kloudie1]

I will be 74 in two weeks..
We had air conditioning when I was an infant...but it was quite rare. It is awesome to think of the advances in technology that have happened since then..

 

[RoyS]

I am 73. I worked in a Texaco gas station when I was 16. That was about 1964. I pumped a million or so gallons. Most people paid with cash and bought between one and three dollars worth. Gasoline was 32 cents a gallon. I washed every windshield and asked every customer if they wanted me to "check under the hood". I could handle up to three cars at a time. Remember most were only buying a few dollars worth and I had to watch all the running pumps to not go over. A very few customers had Texaco credit cards. Once had a guy who tried to pay with a Government Credit Card. FBI or something. I turned him down and demanded cash or Texaco card. Later I was reprimanded by the owner and told to accept that card. Only one I ever saw. Government was much smaller then. Between gas customers who were announced by a bell when they drove in, I changed oil and actually greased cars inside. There were grease fittings on the ball joints, various steering joints, and even the drive shafts. I think I was paid $2.35 an hour. Just before and during snow storms everybody came and filled their tanks for "traction". Hard work with low rewards encouraged me to better myself. I spoke English like all of my customers. Remember it like it was yesterday.

 

[jssailem]

Roy S, Kloudie1, Rgranger, and Leeward Rail.... Those were the days my friends..

Boy, the way Glen Miller played.
Songs that made the Hit Parade.
Guys like us, we had it made.
Those were the days
Didn't need no welfare state.
Everybody pulled his weight
Gee, our old LaSalle ran great.
Those were the days
And you knew where you were then
Girls were girls and men were men.
Mister, we could use a man like Herbert Hoover again.
People seemed to be content.
Fifty dollars paid the rent.
Freaks were in a circus tent.
Those were the days
Take a little Sunday spin,
Go to watch the Dodgers win.
Have yourself a dandy day
That cost you under a fin.
Hair was short and skirts were long.
Kate Smith really sold a song.
I don't know just what went wrong
Those Were the Days

Then Disneyland and the Worlds Fairs showed us all the way we would live in the future.... and we all bought in...

 

[Leeward Rail]

There were grease fittings on the ball joints, various steering joints, and even the drive shafts

Still on some cars today. Often owners are unaware and they aren't maintained.
Aftermarket parts with lifetime warranty usually have them, if the OEM doesn't.

Fun fact: Duesenbergs from the 30s had automatic, mileage based chassis lube systems.. and pseudo anti lock brakes, and a maintenance required warning light system.

. A very few customers had Texaco credit cards

Likely a good.thing. Easy credit has caused all sorts of problems.
The first credit card I saw had a slogan "Will that be cash or Chargex ?" Chargex was the first Canadian credit card.. August 1968. Though a few large department stores already had their own cards to replace their old layaway systems.

I washed every windshield and asked every customer if they wanted me to "check under the hood".

Still a thing in Canada at Co-op gas stations.
You don't need to get out of the car.

Alas, I often fill the tank while the attendants clean the windshield, because the fuel fill system on our Volt confuses them.

Those were the days

Hehe. I heard Edith screeching when reading that.


Edit: I really miss the big old department stores here. Hudson's Bay Company was founded in 1670 and had the best stores.. Santa's workshop/Toyland was awesome..." Dad !!!. Can I have Meccano or a train set ??!" The.annual Christmas catalogs were fantastic. Anything you want.. even houses, much available on layaway.

 

[rgranger]

Who misses the Sears Catalog?

 

[jssailem]

Who misses the Sears Catalog?

Usually when I need to use the Privy.

 

[Will Gilmore]

My mother collected S&H Green Stamps. They had a great, if small, catalog. Charley Chips and milk were delivered. The doctor and the TV repairman made house calls. The TV repairman's job was harder because often the TV worked when he got there. You had to unplug the earliest ones, I remember, so the vacuums tube were cool and the capacitors discharge.

-Will