KIDS WON’T KNOW

I ran across an article today that I found very interesting. It was from a Time Magazine article, dated 8/19/10/, titled : TEN THINGS TODAY’S KIDS WILL NEVER EXPERIENCE

1. Camera film…..2. Land line Phones…..3. Real Books……4. Being Lost…..5. Music Videos on MTV…..6. Walkmans…..7. The Glory Days of Nick at Night…..8. Czechoslovakia…..9. Arnold Schwarzenegger as The Terminator…..10. Tan M & M’s.

Most of these made sense to me, but I called on my resident ‘Expert on Current Affairs’, AKA Alex, to help me understand the list a little better. Some didn’t make sense to him, either. So, maybe they will to some of you.

1. Camera Film…..Now, here’s one I do get. I have always loved making pictures. And, have always had a camera at my disposal. But, I wish I had a $ for every time I put a roll in the camera and it didn’t roll onto those teeny, tiny, little bumps that the squares on the edge of the film were supposed to catch on! Then, what to do? Do you risk opening up the camera to carefully try to slide them on without letting too much light into the camera? Or, roll all the film on through and just throw the whole roll away? Or trust that it’s in place and make a whole roll of the beauties of St. Thomas, or your newborn, or a mission trip to New Orleans? And, it’s not…in place…and the whole roll comes back with just a black box on each pic. And, you still have to pay for the processing. BIG BUMMER! And, just so you know, the newer ones that said all you had to do was stick the roll in the back and it would do it automatically…didn’t. So, I, for one, am forever thankful for digital cameras…where you can make all the pics you want and delete the ones you don’t, you just have to be careful not to drop it. Because that will kill it…every time you drop it…even on different brands of cameras. I’m just saying….

2..Land line phones…..a few, like us, still have them. But, more and more are giving them up. I remember my cutest ever Pink Princess Phone…rotary dial of course, that I had when I was a girl. Many an important life decision was made while talking on it! Or so I thought! Now, they are all punch numbers, but maybe they will pass away to never never land, too. I remember, too, when the first answering machines came about. Do you?

3. Real Books…..I just don’t think so. Remember, this is their list, not mine. But, I do not think real books will ever go out of style. At least, I hope not. I have a Kindle, and I like it OK…but it in no way compares to a book! The feel of a book, the turning of the pages, the smell of the print and the dust, the yellowing of the edges on older ones…you just can’t get all that in a piece of plastic with words that scroll on a screen! Long Live Books…in their original form!

4. Being Lost…..The GPS has taken care of that! Don has one that is built into his truck, I have a portable one, and now my new phone has one built into it! I guess if you are techno savvy enough, you’ll have it made. I have no illusions that I will ever be techno savvy…..and am sure I will forever rely on the kindness of my children! Now, Alex did something to my phone, so he could tell where I am at any time. His phone, which is just like mine, will tell him and even show him on a map where I am!!!!! I left and went to my friend Bonnie’s house and he said he could follow me on the map the whole way! I’m not sure if I like that or not. Sometimes, it’s nice to just get lost and nobody know where you are for a few hours, don’t ya think? I wonder if I turn my phone off if I could disappear…just don’t think I like being tracked. When you think about it…(and I know Alex was just playing with it)…that could be quite scary. But, having the GPS in the phone is a nice feature.

5. Music Videos on MTV…..Alex answered this one for me. He says you can only watch the videos on there late at night or early in the morning. The programming is mostly taken up by reality shows and the like. According to Alex, Fuse is the place to watch music videos. I never heard of it, either. The singers still make the videos, he says. And, you can also see them on the Internet anytime you like.

6. Walkmans…..Oh, yes, I know I bought a many of these for my 3 boys! How great it was to be able to carry your music around with you! You just HAD to have one, with a certain kind of earphones that gave the best sound. And, to be honest, I had one, too. But, these are gone, too, and the cute little cassette tapes with them. What do you do with all those cassette tapes that had such wonderful music on them? And, I have several that were recordings of my children. Sad, a little.

7. The Glory Days of Nick at Night…Alex got the biggest smile on his face when I read this one to him. “Those were the best times,” he said, “me and Ian and Adam would watch all those old shows.” I asked him which ones he remembered. “Get Smart was the best, but it came on at 8:00,and that’s when my bedtime was. I would always try to sneak into you and Daddy’s bedroom and watch it real quiet.” I asked if I ever caught him. “Sometimes”, he said. He told me they also loved to watch the original Batman with Adam West, and Green Acres. What fun and innocent shows to watch. Compared to the filth on now, it’s enough to make you want to throw your TV out the window! I would hate to have little ones watching what is on these days.

8. Czechoslovakia….. Czechoslovakia was a sovereign state in Central Europe, which existed from October 1918, until 1992. On 1 January 1993, Czechoslovakia peacefully split into the Czech Republic and Slovakia. Oh, well…it was a hard word to say AND spell, anyway!

9 Arnold Schwarzenegger as The Terminator…..I don’t get this one. Why can’t they watch the old movies? Alex said he thought it may be because Arnold can’t make any more new ones…he’s too old! His words…not mine!

10. Tan M & M’s…..In 1995, the candy head honchos ran a promotion to let the consumer vote on which color would replace ‘Tan’. The choices were Blue…Pink…or Purple. ‘Blue’ was the winner and ‘Tan’ faded away as ‘Blue’ came to the forefront! As I was checking this one out, I saw that there are petitions and FB pages in place in an attempt to ‘Bring Back Tan’.

They went on on to add ‘watches’, ‘writing in cursive’, and ‘the awesomness that was Nirvana’…that was a rock band…and I knew that….Curt Cobain and Courtney Love.

Well, that’s it. That’s their list. What would you add to the list? Here’s a few of the things I remember coming into the marketplace…and leaving.

These are some of the things I remember at their beginning. I can vividly remember getting our first color TV. I do not remember the year, but it was before 1963, because we moved from that house about then. I recall that Joy and I were disappointed that all the programs were not in color! The first color TV system began commercial broadcasting in 1953…the year I was born! And, actually, the cable TV programs began the same year. Then came a product called ‘Lazy Bones’ in 1956. Can you guess what it was? That’s right…the remote control! But, it is very much still in use!

I had my own transistor radio when I was a school girl. As did most of my little friends. I do remember how disappointed I was when I realized that it would not run forever, due to a dumb thing called ‘batteries’! And, I felt even worse when Pop told me that I had to buy the new batteries with MY allowance! I ask you, is that fair???? 🙂 A few years later, I had an 8 track tape player put into my car. Then came the cassette tapes, and they are about gone now.

I don’t know if this is still done in other places, but it has ceased here….Home milk delivery. I can barely remember Mom having me to put the empty bottles on the front porch, and bringing the milk inside the next morning.

I recall when we bought Adam an Atari, one of the first video gaming systems. He was 5 or 6. And, I also remember when the talk started going around about the World Wide Web…not that I understood it, just remember folks talking about it.

Oh, time passes and the things we think are so important come and go, fade out and something else,in, and we so quickly forget what was and look ahead to the next new thing. And, I suppose there always will be that…the next new thing. As long as God allows this world to continue and smart men and women dream. Dedicated scientists and doctors spend their lives trying to rid the world of diseases and illness. I pray so often for someone to discover a way to help those who suffer with cerebellar atrophy, like Alex. And you have diseases that are more real to you that you want to see eradicated. Other scientists look for ways to bring food and water to the millions who will die of starvation, if someone doesn’t help. Tiny babies with swollen stomachs and sad eyes never learn to smile, for their lives on this earth are so miserable. So many inquisitive minds full of great intelligence will never learn any more than the ways of their elders because there is no one to go to their village and teach. No one to open up the wonders of this world to those who want so badly to know.

God help the great minds today use their gifts for the greater good of all people. To serve those with little chance of a better life if they don’t. Help me remember that I have a part to play in the global community, as well. I must pray…daily…for these. I must contribute my monies to programs that promote the right things. Help us to all be more mindful. Amen.

EDITTED: You have added typewriters, and ice trays! Also carbon paper and mimeograph copies.What else can you think of? Here’s some more: home hair dryers, Cracker Jacks with a REAL prize, Magic Decoder Ring, Cartoons and Serials at the movies, joy ar receiving a quarter, playing outside after dark till parents called you in! Sending in box tops for a prize….I actually remember sending in actual box tops. Now there is a tiny little square on the box that you send in…and they still call it a box top!