10 ways the world is different since I graduated from high school in 1984. As ever, in no particular order...
1) The Internet. I learned to type on a typewriter. Computers were not even a glimmer on the horizon. Heck, I thought it was very cool to have an electric typewriter that could automatically fix errors.
2) Mp3 players. iPods, what have you... it was a WalkMan radio/tape player if you were into fancy gear. Along came DiscMan with the ability to play CDs. Imagine how much I love my Rio Chiba that holds hundreds of songs.
3) Cell phones. We had dial phones. Push buttons were the next big thing and-whoa-touch tone dialing! Now people are on their phones while doing ordinary chores. Too much phone for my taste, but... whatev.
4) Language. I never, repeat that NEVER, dreamed of talking back to adults, especially school personnel. Refusing to do work? Nope. I'm shocked at how the students talk to me on a regular basis. I remind them I'm not their "Dude" or their parent and that when I give an answer it's the answer. They are very casual and flippant.
5) Manners. May as well finish this rant--but growing up, manners were very important. Taking a hat off when entering a building was just... what happened. Now I see men wearing hats in restaurants. Holding a door, excusing oneself... all the niceties are gone. I tell my students that having good manners will get them farther than having a sense of humor. (usually after they've said something borderline raunchy)
6) Cars. We had family cars to use and everyone had to take turns. Now the students have nice cars that are theirs alone. I can't imagine how parents afford it.
7) Edumacation. We went to school to learn something. Now they seem to go to school to socialize or some other reason than learning. And they expect the last couple weeks to be "free days" which makes me ask, when do we ever have free days--what makes you think we're starting now?????
8) Cameras. Life with insta-matic Polaroids was a blast. We'd plaster our lockers with pictures. It's not quite the same when camera phones and digital cameras come out. Although the photo editing they can do is a hoot.
9) Dating. My friends and I went on group dates or formal dates. Now there are "just friends," "friends with benefits," and "hookups." I don't remember being quite so casual about sex acts, now it's like nothing.
10) Money. My sisters and I had to earn our own money and we worked hard to get it. No one seems to make money babysitting anymore, they all have part-time jobs at call centers or weird places. My job was to go to school. Dad would give us some movie money. We didn't seem to need money for much else.
3 comments:
I'm sitting here nodding. I think that means we're old....
I am SO there with you! I was afraid to say anything lest I sound old. Sure, you can tell by lookin' at me that I'm old, but that doesn't mean that I have to SOUND old too!
I'm very phone nostalgic. My best friend used to stay at The Hotel Monaco here in Chicago, and the house phones were all these big, delightful, heavy black things with rotary dials. Carrie had one like that in SATC, too. In fact, didn't Grace Kelly kill someone with one of those great old phones in "Dial M for Murder?"
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