How old is Grandma?

How old is Grandma?

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

The Grandma 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 had yet to
walk on the moon.

Your Grandfather 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 I, "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 store
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 ???.....

pretty scary if you think about it and pretty sad at the same time.
.
.
This Woman would be only 58 years old!

She must be older than that!

58 years ago was 1944.

Penicillin was used during the later half of WW2.
Television broadcasting started in this country in 1939, earlier in England. Granted- broadcasting was halted during the war.

FM Radio existed before WW2.

Air conditioning did indeed exist at the time.

Dishwashers were demonstrated at the 1939 NY Worlds fair, and probably existed before that.

I don't know about pantyhose, but nylon stockings existed pre-WW2.

By the time this woman would have married, it would have been 1961, assuming she was 17. Probably was married much later, say 1963 to 1965.
By that time pot was smoked, coke was put up one's nose, and hardly anybody was listening to Tommy Dorsey.
She didn't call policemen sir, she called them pig. And you sure as heck paid more than $600 for a Chevy, and darn near everybody DID afford it.

I could go on, but I have probably gone too far already.

Cheers!

Nik

Part of the problem is that email/letter (it actually pre-dates most people's inbox) has been around at least 10 years, probably longer.

Since no one really knows when it started, it is impossible to correct the age, esp. with the reference to guys wearing earrings. (An ancient practice -- Exodus 32:2 Aaron answered them, "Take off the gold earrings that your wives, your sons and your daughters are wearing, and bring them to me." )

Our kids look at my wife and funny when we talk about albums as being different from CD's. They really go nuts when their grandfather breaks out his old jazz 78's.

My wife and I will sing -- loudly and (at least the kids claim) off key -- when some of our more obscure favorites from the 70's and 80's come on.

My daughter thinks I'm nuts because other than jazz and talk, I enjoy listening to the all 80's station in town, then call her music alternately noise and garbage, depending on the amount of screeching in it.

The kids think we're nuts because we remember when there were truly meaningful messages in some music, and true love songs that didn't talk about "doing my b----" or "h--". They roll their eyes when my wife begin to sing along with the Isley Brothers or the O'Jays or Earth Wind and Fire, and even the old Jackson Five (whose "Goin' Back to Indiana" holds a special place for us, since we're from Gary) -- "One more time for Roosevelt High!" -- I graduated from Gary's Roosevelt High in 1980; I get to sneer -- but no one else can -- at my wife who graduated from crosstown rival West Side High, also in 1980.

The kids think we're nuts when we tell them that there were only five channels -- 2,5,7,9 & 11 -- and that cartoons were only on for an hour or two a day. Oh, and don't forget TV's that you turned on now and they didn't warm up until next Tuesday; or the old clunky tuners - "CLUNK! CLUNK! CLUNK!" And remote controls? HA! I was the remote control -- "Go turn to channel seven for me son." And how many homes had a small TV sitting on top of the large console TV/stereo that didn't work? (that is at least until your dad could pull out the tube and take it down to Sears or Wards to try it on the tester and get another one)

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