Generation gap

This email was sent to me in early 2002 by my erstwhile Songster Leader Jack Bunton.

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

The grandmother 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.

"We had not invented pantyhose, air conditioners, dishwashers, clothes dryers -- well, clothes were hung out to dry in the fresh air -- and man had not yet walked on the moon.

"Your grandfather and I got married first, then lived together.

"Every family had a mother and a father.  Girls wore dresses and knew how to cook and sew.  And every boy over 14 had a rifle that his dad taught him how to use and respect.  And they went hunting and fishing together.

"Until I was 25, I called every woman older than me 'Ma'am' and every man older than me 'Sir.'  And after I turned 25, I still called policemen and every man with a title 'Sir.'

"Sundays were set aside for going to church as a family, helping those in need, and visiting with family or neighbors.

"We were before gay rights, computer dating, dual careers, Day Care 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, and living here 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 a condominium.

"We never heard of FM radios, tape decks, CDs, electric typewriters, yogurt or guys wearing earrings.  We listened to Jack Benny, The Shadow, The Lone Ranger, and the President's speeches on our radios.

"And I don't remember any kid blowing his (or somebody else's) brains out after listening to a song by Doris Day, Elvis Presley, The Drifters or The Platters.

"If you saw anything with 'Made in Japan' on it, it was junk.  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 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 a 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 -- ???

ANSWER:  This woman would be only 58 years old.

If this woman would have been only 58 in 2002, we're now talking about someone in her early seventies.  But then, 70 is the new 55.