topic Re: Decades Of Difference---Thoughts To Ponder in Community Chat

Decades Of Difference---Thoughts To Ponder

Spurt — Sun, 10 Jul 2022 00:26:45 GMT

IMPORTANT---Although this article expresses many of my same thoughts and concerns I did not write the article it's from a Blog that a friend shared. It takes a look at today and also a look back. Perhaps todays progress isn't all that it's cracked up to be in view of what's going on in the news and in the world today. And I also realize not everyone had an idyllic life in the "good old days" either......It's a generalization of things, but still makes some good points.

The Easy Cajun

July 4 at 6:01 AM ·

A young man asked his grandfather, "Grandpa, how did you live in the past without technology . . .

without computers,

without Internet connection,

without TVs,

without air conditioners,

without cars,

no cell phones?"

Grandpa answered:

"As your generation lives today . . .

there are no prayers,

there is no compassion,

there is no respect,

no real education,

there is no personality,

there is no shame at all,

there is no modesty,

there is no honesty.

We, the people born between the years 1940-1980, were the blessed ones. Our lives are a living proof."

* While playing and riding a bike, we have never worn a helmet.

* Before school then we played and again after school until dusk and hardly ever watched television.

* We played with real friends, not virtual friends.

* If we were thirsty, we would drink tap water, or water from the hose, not mineral water.

* We never worried even as we shared the same cup of juice with four friends.

* We never gained weight by eating plates of pasta every day.

* Nothing happened to our feet despite roaming barefoot.

* We never used food supplements to stay healthy.

* We used to make our own toys and play with them.

* Our parents were not rich. They gave love, not stuff.

* We never had a cell phone, DVD, game console, Xbox, video game, PC, internet, chat . . . but we had true friends.

* We visited our friends without being invited and shared and enjoyed the food with them.

Parents lived nearby to take advantage of family time.

* We may have had black and white photos, but you can find colorful memories in these photos.

* We are a unique and the most understanding generation, because we are the last generation that listened to their parents.

And we are also the first ones who were forced to listen to their children.

* We are a limited edition!

Take advantage of us. Learn from us. We are a treasure destined to disappear soon.

Re: Decades Of Difference---Thoughts To Ponder

deepwaterdotter — Sat, 09 Jul 2022 22:39:18 GMT

I am fortunate to associate with young people who show me respect. We pray together in church, and share compassion for each other's concerns. I enjoy their company and conversation. I feel sad for "Grandpa".

Re: Decades Of Difference---Thoughts To Ponder

alliswell — Sat, 09 Jul 2022 22:43:30 GMT

“That men do not learn very much from the lessons of history is the most important of all the lessons that history has to teach.”

― Aldous Huxley, Collected Essays.

Re: Decades Of Difference---Thoughts To Ponder

Kachina624 — Sat, 09 Jul 2022 22:45:12 GMT

@Spurt You're right about the idyllic childhoods of those born 1940-1980, however, its not over yet and I'm terribly worried about what faces us in the future in this country. Its looking very gloomy. Maybe we're not so lucky afterall.

Re: Decades Of Difference---Thoughts To Ponder

kaydee50 — Sat, 09 Jul 2022 22:55:54 GMT

So glad I was born when I was (1950) although probably sooner would have been even better!! No way would I want to be a young person these days!

Re: Decades Of Difference---Thoughts To Ponder

Mersha — Sat, 09 Jul 2022 23:03:54 GMT

Things were not so idyllic during Grandpa's time if you were African American and living in the south under Jim Crow laws. People conveniently forget.

As far as young people of today, my grandchildren are active in multiple sports and I have attended more games than I can count so we are accustomed to being around children nowadays.

My oldest grands are teens and we have had the pleasure of watching them and their friends grow and mature.

They are accomplished, bright, articulate, polite, educated, caring, wonderful children. We know their parents and the work and sacrifices they have made in raising the children.

I have high hopes that generation can pull this country out of the sordid mess that we are in.

Re: Decades Of Difference---Thoughts To Ponder

Sooner — Sat, 09 Jul 2022 23:07:28 GMT

@Spurt wrote:
The Easy Cajun
July 4 at 6:01 AM ·
A young man asked his grandfather, "Grandpa, how did you live in the past without technology . . .
without computers,
without Internet connection,
without TVs,
without air conditioners,
without cars,
no cell phones?"
Grandpa answered:
"As your generation lives today . . .
there are no prayers,
there is no compassion,
there is no respect,
no real education,
there is no personality,
there is no shame at all,
there is no modesty,
there is no honesty.
We, the people born between the years 1940-1980, were the blessed ones. Our lives are a living proof."
* While playing and riding a bike, we have never worn a helmet.
* Before school then we played and again after school until dusk and hardly ever watched television.
* We played with real friends, not virtual friends.
* If we were thirsty, we would drink tap water, or water from the hose, not mineral water.
* We never worried even as we shared the same cup of juice with four friends.
* We never gained weight by eating plates of pasta every day.
* Nothing happened to our feet despite roaming barefoot.
* We never used food supplements to stay healthy.
* We used to make our own toys and play with them.
* Our parents were not rich. They gave love, not stuff.
* We never had a cell phone, DVD, game console, Xbox, video game, PC, internet, chat . . . but we had true friends.
* We visited our friends without being invited and shared and enjoyed the food with them.
Parents lived nearby to take advantage of family time.
* We may have had black and white photos, but you can find colorful memories in these photos.
* We are a unique and the most understanding generation, because we are the last generation that listened to their parents.
And we are also the first ones who were forced to listen to their children.
* We are a limited edition!
Take advantage of us. Learn from us. We are a treasure destined to disappear soon.

Not everyone:

Didn't have kids to play with

Didn't eat pasta

Didn't go barefoot

Didn't drink with other kids (sick a lot)

Had an air conditioner

Had a tv and watched more then than now

Had a car and went more to town than now because you went to get it or did without.

Had toys--lots of plastic cowboys and army men and horses and balls and bats and hoola hoops and Water Wiggles, and real metal toy trucks and road graders, yo-yos, bikes and skates and skateboards, Barbie and Ken and Midge, dogs that lived outside and ran and played and chased squirrels, pogo sticks, rubber-band airplanes,

Re: Decades Of Difference---Thoughts To Ponder

Beth-QVC — Sat, 09 Jul 2022 23:41:25 GMT

argumentative

Re: Decades Of Difference---Thoughts To Ponder

desertrat8 — Sun, 10 Jul 2022 00:38:28 GMT

@Spurt I loved that! Was born in1940 and it brought back vivid, fond memories. Todays children seem to have everything organized for them without imaginative freedom to just be. Honestly, I don't think those of us who grew up back then thought anything could harm us, but we learned the value of hard work and respect!

Re: Decades Of Difference---Thoughts To Ponder

Trailrun23 — Sun, 10 Jul 2022 01:41:06 GMT

"Progress" is a relative idea. Technology only improves our lives when it doesn't dominate our lives. I do wish my grands could have a glimpse of how their own parents, grew up without iPads, video games, or Siri to play music for them.

I look back now at my own childhood and it sounds primitive by today's standards, but I wouldn't change it for anything.

Re: Decades Of Difference---Thoughts To Ponder

Desertdi — Sun, 10 Jul 2022 02:42:42 GMT

Being born during World War 2 was NOT what I would call "Good Times"...

Re: Decades Of Difference---Thoughts To Ponder

Kachina624 — Sun, 10 Jul 2022 04:17:16 GMT

@Desertdi wrote:
Being born during World War 2 was NOT what I would call "Good Times"...

@Desertdi I don't thing we kids suffered because we didn't know any difference. We didn't have many toys without plastics, rubber or metals but we made some grand creations with a few nails, A hammer and some second hand boards. We didn't know we were deprived. Dad even managed to buy me a second hand tricycle which he rehabbed and turned into a beauty.

Re: Decades Of Difference---Thoughts To Ponder

781Florist — Sun, 10 Jul 2022 04:44:59 GMT

I remember the whole neighborhood full of kids playing kick the can and giving

Beatles concerts on an enclosed porch with wooden guitars and cardboard box drums.

Punchball at the city playground and making plaster of paris Santa statues and "God Bless Our Home" placques.

While I do think that today's kids would really benefit from and enjoy some of what we

treasure and remember, we need to keep in mind that the things that occupy their minds and their time will be their treasured memories in future years, and we do not have ownership over that!

I really love the fact that if I want to know what ever beccame of so-and-so who was the sherriff on an old TV show ..today I can simply tap out some question on a keyboard and get my info in seconds. I can really want to hear an old favorite or a very obscure hit from my halcyon days and all I need to do is ask Alexa or Siri to play it and there it is!

And I can still appreciate this advancement and love utilzing it even while remembering and missing Casey Kasem telling me to "Keep my feet on the ground and keep reaching for the stars!" We are indeed the lucky ones. Yesterday's memories and experiences and today's convenience.

No wonder the Millenials are so jealous of the Boomers!

Re: Decades Of Difference---Thoughts To Ponder

781Florist — Sun, 10 Jul 2022 04:49:33 GMT

A little P.S. to my post....

Bob Dylan wrote the beautiful song "The Times They Are A Changing" when we were young and about to displace our parent's generation. The words to that song are eternal and can be used for every new generation. It is hard to hear when the finger is pointed at ourselves.

Re: Decades Of Difference---Thoughts To Ponder

Desertdi — Sun, 10 Jul 2022 05:14:39 GMT

@Kachina624 wrote:

@Desertdi wrote:
Being born during World War 2 was NOT what I would call "Good Times"...
@Desertdi I don't thing we kids suffered because we didn't know any difference. We didn't have many toys without plastics, rubber or metals but we made some grand creations with a few nails, A hammer and some second hand boards. We didn't know we were deprived. Dad even managed to buy me a second hand tricycle which he rehabbed and turned into a beauty.

@Kachina624 I was pretty "aware" in Chicago....in a triangle bounded by O'Hare Army-Air, Great Lakes Naval, Fort Sheridan Army, and Navy Pier. We had blackout shades on the windows, and convoys on the City thorofares, submarines going thru the Chicago River to the Lake being shipped eventually out to the Pacific for combat.

I admit that I didn't understand the enormity of it...but I did realize something very "bad" was going on. di

Re: Decades Of Difference---Thoughts To Ponder

hckynutjohn — Sun, 10 Jul 2022 07:23:46 GMT

@Spurt

I could go thru each one with specificity, but will choose to make this short. What my view on life and how I wanted to live it? I learned at a very young age.

In spite of going against my loving late mother's wishes, this phrase I saw decades ago, was the most influential thing in my life, then and now. Who said it?

"Man was born to live not to prepare for life"

That's it!

hckynut 🇺🇸

Re: Decades Of Difference---Thoughts To Ponder

jlkz — Sun, 10 Jul 2022 12:31:16 GMT

@alliswell

While not a History major, I am very concerned that this country ( and others ) haven't learned the lessons leading up to two world wars. The aggressive actions exploding on Ukraine are a prelude: the falling dominoes will continue to spread beyond that country's border....

Even more cause for alarm is the mentality that "our" political party must win through any means possible: create "truth" where there is none. Say it often enough and celebrate those in power: that will make it real.

Accountability...? Courage to stand up for what is right ?

Too much time and effort is being spent on social platforms and entertainment: a generation is out of touch with history and how present day events are sowing the seeds for a world beset by a war unlike any ever seen thanks to technology.

Technology: it touches everything from what we see, hear, read about, research, experience, etc. Sources can distort information so much that it will lead to confusion and mistrust.

Sad state of affairs...to repeat history when there is a chance to learn from it !!!

Sorry for the down post: I have just read and seen photographs of war torn Ukraine this AM....

Re: Decades Of Difference---Thoughts To Ponder

CelticCrafter — Sun, 10 Jul 2022 13:39:07 GMT

@Kachina624 wrote:

@Desertdi wrote:
Being born during World War 2 was NOT what I would call "Good Times"...
@Desertdi I don't thing we kids suffered because we didn't know any difference. We didn't have many toys without plastics, rubber or metals but we made some grand creations with a few nails, A hammer and some second hand boards. We didn't know we were deprived. Dad even managed to buy me a second hand tricycle which he rehabbed and turned into a beauty.

@Kachina624 Amen to that because every kid in the neighborhood was living that same way.

We may not have had extras but we did have food on the table, clothes on our backs and a roof over our heads.

Re: Decades Of Difference---Thoughts To Ponder

proudlyfromNJ — Sun, 10 Jul 2022 13:47:36 GMT

@Desertdi wrote:
Being born during World War 2 was NOT what I would call "Good Times"...

@Desertdi I agree. I have a picture of my Grandmother on her bicycle holding up her ration card which she needed to buy groceries. Her son was gone somewhere in the Navy and her son in law somewhere in the Army. Yes, things were not so great then especially if you lived in Europe.

Re: Decades Of Difference---Thoughts To Ponder

Spurt — Sun, 10 Jul 2022 13:53:50 GMT

@desertrat8 wrote:
@Spurt I loved that! Was born in1940 and it brought back vivid, fond memories. Todays children seem to have everything organized for them without imaginative freedom to just be. Honestly, I don't think those of us who grew up back then thought anything could harm us, but we learned the value of hard work and respect!

@desertrat8

👍

Yep, I hear ya and agree---whether it be mother setting up a "play date" or computers doing the math, and even cursive writing has gone away in the form of electronic signatures....If a power outage comes they are lost....imagination and creativity has taken a blow JMHO