Thursday, September 27, 2012

I was born in the dark ages!


This post really doesn't fit into my plan for the blog, which is to be primarily about thrifting, refurbishing, making over, etc. But I don't know how soon I will have that going, and since you were kind enough to come by, I wanted to post something so your visit was not totally wasted. This piece was inspired by a post that I found at  ThistlewoodFarm(http://www.thistlewoodfarms.com) Kari wrote about remembering the "old days" before pinterest, etc., and how her son was surprised to learn they actually had TV when she was a child. Go read her article if you missed it, she has great kids, and a great blog. Anywaaay, I started thinking about my childhood. Uh, we didn't have TV. I mean, it had been invented then, I guess people in cities had them, but nobody in my world. I saw my first TV when I was about eight years old. It was in the front window of a furniture store. It was turned on in the evening, and people would gather outside the store and watch a show. The store was closed of course, (nothing was open past six o'clock), but the owner had rigged up a speaker so people could hear the program, and people would go stand there and watch. Eventually, people starting getting them for home. I think we had a whopping two channels, both from Little Rock. All broadcasting stopped at 10pm. 

Life before cell phones? LOL, we got our first phone about the same time TV came to town. A black box, weighed a ton, connected to the wall with a heavy cord (no, you couldn't unplug it, it was wired directly into the wall). There were no buttons, no dial. 


You lifted the receiver, and a real human said "Operator" and you gave her the 4-digit number you wanted to call, and she somehow plugged you in from the "Telephone Office" in town, which was actually a small room in the back of the fabric store. Or in my little town, you could just tell her "Grace, I want to talk to Mary Simmons" and she would "put you through". Or not. She might well tell you there was no point, as Mary Simmons had gone to see Doc Johnson about her bad knee, and she wasn't home. Grace could tell you many things. If you forgot to wind your clock (yes, we wound the clock) you could pick up the phone and ask her what time it was.
 If you heard the fire siren, pick up and she would tell you where the fire was. See the light on at the funeral home, she could tell you who died.
 I was in seventh grade when dial service came to town. They had an assembly at school, with a rep from the phone company who spoke to us. He explained phone etiquette, and demonstrated how to dial the phone. And encouraged all of us to go home and explain it to our parents. Most of whom were dismayed that the world was becoming so advanced that you could actually talk to Mary Simmons without even telling Grace about it. What was the world coming to? What would be next--probably nothing; my goodness, what else was there, between the television and the dial phone, there wasn't much left to invent.
I was not exactly born in the dark ages, all of this innovation was in the mid-50's. A bit more than fifty years ago, and look where we are now. It boggles the mind to really think about the changes people my age have seen in our lifetimes. I wonder what will be the next invention. Probably not much, as pretty much everything has already been invented. Famous last words.


Thanks so much for coming by. Hopefully, I will get this figured out and start posting regularly SOON!

Sandra

13 comments:

  1. I loved, loved, loved this post. What a lovely glimpse into the world you once knew. I find it so fascinating. Your stories about talking to Grace, so funny...and funnier that they are true. And, I loved the incorporation of what future inventions were likely to be seen during your/our lifetime...Probably not much, as pretty much everything has already been invented :)

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    1. Thank you so much, Amy. I am glad you enjoyed it. You are my very first poster, ever!!! I am not sure anyone else has even been here yet, I have no idea what I am doing, and my blog is a mess. For the life of me, I cannot get things to move to the right spot!!! But please do come back by, one of these days I will figure it out and it will be a real blog! Many thanks
      Sandra

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    2. Hi Sandra, thanks for telling me about your blog.... You have this place looking real nice. Loved reading about your 'dark ages' as I know exactly where you are coming from...LOL....all you mentioned sounds very familiar. Been there, done that...Wishing you the best in your new adventure with the blog...You go girl....Betty

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    3. Sandra, it's hard to tell that you aren't a 'real' blog. Your first post was the perfect amount of wit and entertainment. I can't wait to see what you share next.

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    4. Oh, Amy!! Thank you so much, you have no idea how much good that does my heart! I am hoping to have my first real post up later this week, and then be posting regularly. What ever that means, lol. Love your blog, by the way! Blessings.

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  2. Sandra this post was so much fun to read. I love it! Especially the part about the operator. How funny! You have a wonderful blogging voice and your pictures are great! You may have been around when TV's began appearing in living rooms, but look at how you are embracing technology now!

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  3. Sandra what a beautiful post. Yes, I remember those days, well except, we were able to dial people on our telephone. We had one telephone and one tv, I can't believe how happy & content we were during that time...

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  4. Thanks, Sherry, glad you liked it! Yes, we were happy and content in those days, we had enough, and enough was all we needed. Too bad we are not so content these days, when so many people thing "enough" means having everything.

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  5. I'm here!!!!!!!!!!!! I'm so excited! It looks wonderful! What a beautiful and wonderful post! You go girl!

    blessings,
    karianne

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    1. Hi, Karianne! I am so glad you are here, and like it. Hopefully, by Friday I will have a "real" post (if I can figure out the darn camera--Lord, I am too old for this technical stuff!!!!)

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  6. Hi Sandra, welcome to blogging! Loved this post. I don't remember it exactly as that....but our son, who is now 30, one day asked his dad, if we had TV? My husband said, yes, but it was Black and White....our son, shocked said...well, what kind of TV is that?

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  7. LOL, kids have no idea of the "hardships" we faced. My older kids laugh about how they had 8-track tapes, and yes, black and white TV.
    I have five kids, my oldest is 47, my youngest is 25, so a real generation gap between the first and last.

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