Sometime a number of years ago, I saved a little article from some magazine, probably AARP, and copied it onto my computer. I came across it today when I was looking for something entirely different and began reading it. It was written by someone probably around my age or maybe a little younger, and listed all kinds of things that he/she grew up with that many people don't remember or never heard of.

Things like P.F. Flyers, rabbit ear antennas on top of the television and you had to get out of your chair to change channels. There were only three channels - if you got any signal at all. Remember candy cigarettes, cap guns, little wax bottles with some kind of colored sweet water inside, and Kool-aid (do they have that anymore?) Bikes had only one speed and boys wore clips to keep their trousers out of the exposed chain. Cars all came with a shifting lever and a clutch - radio optional. Nobody had ever heard of a "moon roof" or "sun roof." I just learned recently that there may actually be a difference - a moon roof is usually made of tinted glass - but actually both are fundamentally a hole in the roof of your car. Not to be confused with a convertible. Which brings to mind a rumble seat. Also, all cars used to have running boards; now they are an "extra" for your very high-off-the-ground truck. I used to have a set of tire chains in the trunk of my car and from time to time had to put them on to get up an icy hill. Chains were not easy to fit around your tire - it was a cold, finger-numbing job. Roads weren't salted and sanded like they are today, and nobody had heard of all-wheel drive; and later on, when four-wheel drive was available, you had to come to a complete stop and shift into neutral before changing drives.


How on earth did we manage to survive?