Ode to Papa

In light of my fast approaching birthday, here is a sobering thought.

How old is Grandpa?
Stay with this--the answer is at the end. It will blow you away.

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

The Grandpa replied, well, let me think a minute, I was born before:

television
penicillin
polio shots
frozen foods
Xerox
contact lenses
Frisbees
The pill

There were no:
credit cards
laser beams
ball point pens

Man had not invented:
pantyhose
air conditioners
dishwashers
clothes dryers (the clothes were hung outside in the fresh air)
man hadn't yet walked on the moon.

Your Grandma 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 me "Sir"
And after I turned 25, I still called poilicmen 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. 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' refereed to how you did on your school exam.
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.
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 $600.00, but who could afford one?
Too bad, because gas was just 11 cents a gallon.

In my day:
'grass was mowed'
'coke' was a cold drink
'pot' was something your mother cook in
'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
'software' wasn't even a word.

And we were the last generation to actually believe that a woman 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?






This man would be only 59 years old!!!!