Old technology you have to explain to kids

Not technological, but I was telling my 11-year-old niece how sad it was that her 9-year-old cousins didn't know how to ride a bike yet.

She informed me it "is a skill that's no longer needed."

Turns out, she doesn't know, either.

 

Our kids laughed when I was watching Wall Street and told them I had a phone like the guy standing on the beach (when Gekko was using his brick-sized phone with an antenna).

They couldn't believe it when I said my freshman year of high school was when the school got its first Xerox copying machine. Only the office secretaries could use it and office student assistants, but only when the two staff employees were present. We still had a very well used mimeograph machine, too.

Think about the last 100 or so years, from the time of the Wright Brothers flight at Kitty Hawk until today, and the discoveries or advancements. It's truly amazing.

 

I'm using a desktop computer.

 

Yeah, before the auto, the city streets were filled with horse crap. People didn't live as long.

Riding a horse or wagon was a necessity, and folks rarely had a reason to get further than 50 miles from the farm or city home. Unless you were wealthy enough to travel just for the fun of it, by train or ship.

Parts of my family were still using outhouses only three generations ago. No electricity either.

I think I still prefer the lifetime I have had, spanning black and white TV until now, than the future our younger generations face. The gadgets are greater and far more portable, but it is an angry world out there and I really fear a major terrorist attack with a nuke or something.

Carpe diem though.

 

There's a scene in WarGames where Broderick uses an aluminum pull-tab to rig a payphone.

 

Much better today, but I wish I could spend a week in 1880 or so. Imagine all the noise and motion that wouldn't be everywhere around you every minute of the day.

 

There are a few pay phones in our neighbourhood but pretty much only the drug dealers and homeless people use them .

HC & I have seen a few of these oldtimers out in rural areas. Some family (presumably with just one kid) sticks them at the end of their lane as school bus shelters

 

Rubbers. The rubbers that go over your shoes.

 

Those prevent STDs too. I never got laid when wearing them.

 

I still wear those. You don't want to ruin a $250.00 pair of shoes.

Had to explain to a 20 something at work about my first job in book publishing: I had a secretary who took dictation and TYPED all my letters. And she also brought me coffee. Yup, I'm that old.

 

My students laughed at me when I told them I wanted to find an old typewriter for my office to use to type up envelopes.

None of them had ever used a typewriter.

On a different subject, who understands what I mean when I say I need the "channel changers".

 

Which brings us to the TVs you had to walk across the room and turn the dial to change the station. And you only had three choices.

On a related note, Novelist Jr. texted me a couple of weeks ago and asked if I knew how to use microfilm. I always thought it was a pain in the ass. He enjoyed the novelty of it. Actually had to do it for a project in one of his classes. Why they couldn't use Google I have no idea.