Submitted by Fred on

Times Change

Categories
Lifestyle

When I was young there were only 48 states, “Under God” was not in the Pledge of Allegiance, we got under our school desk in nuclear attack drills, TV was aborning in black and white with few channels, there was a smoking car on the rail road, pay phones were few and far between, Alan Freed was spawning Rock n’ Roll, I read The Daily Mirror tabloid, milk was delivered in the morning to the milk box, planes had propellers, bills were only paid in cash, police were men, the Yankees won almost every year, trophies were only for winners, Little League was only for boys, the LIE had not reached Roslyn, we had a party telephone line, the Yankees were all white, sneakers were for running, running was for odd balls, college was affordable, dogs ran free, I had a Newsday paper route, Baby oil and reflectors were for tanning, we ran behind the fogging man as he drove around the neighborhood, people burned leaves (and roasted potatoes) in the street, we ran through the sprinkler on a hot day,  air conditioners were rare, there was no sushi and pizza was new and...

Comments

Fred Klein

Maybe about playing softball with me and his dad
Tom Gallin

Amazing how far we have gone in a short amount of time. I can't wait to see what tomorrow brings.

Submitted by MarilynGenoa on Thu, 10/04/2018 - 23:07

Permalink
Marilyn Genoa

You are sending me on a Google rabbit hole to research some things I never knew, something we certainly could not have done in the time period you describe.
Shelley Simpson

...that was then and this is now. Sounds like the way it was for us wasn't much different - plenty to enjoy, plenty that was in need to change. Thomas Friedman wrote a good book, "Thank You for Being Late. This blog reminded me how much I enjoyed it.

Submitted by Judy_Mauer on Thu, 10/04/2018 - 23:17

Permalink
Judy Mauer

You could smoke on planes and movie theaters. Road my bicycle everywhere and way after dark. You could take LIRR to the Worlds Fair. All summer long awesome concerts in Central park.No parental supervision. Apartments in NYC were affordable (100.00 a month) ....

Submitted by Fred on Fri, 10/05/2018 - 00:09

In reply to by MarilynGenoa

Permalink
Fred Klein

Encyclopedia Britanica
Cayce Crown

Amazing to think the Wright brothers first flight was 1903.
Wasn’t that much different for me, just a few years behind you and I have fond memories too. However, let’s not forget the dogs, the hoses, the unbridled sexism, racism and abuse. Even though we’ve experienced a surge since 11/16, we are so much better off today. Our “white privilege” is being dismantled thankfully and sometimes painfully.
Daniel Schwartz

I remember a lot of that, the milk box outside and riding the train form Brooklyn to NYC alone at age 12. Smoking on planes and in restaurants was always an annoyance to me. I imagine my kids will see many more wonders and changes that we can't even imagine.
Sherry Rivera

I remember most of that with fondness and appreciation for the good old days with much less FEAR overall. Now the changes seem to come at an even faster place. I appreciate the advances in medicine and loathe those that inhibit person to person direct communication

Submitted by NeilHollander on Fri, 10/05/2018 - 03:45

Permalink
Neil Hollander

The Ice Cream Man . My paper route . I remember the smell of the freshly dried ink on the newsprint as I accurately tossed the Long Island Press in New Norgate and Westwood Circle . Fire flies . Kool Aid . Baseball cards . The egg creams at the Westwood Candy Store . My coin collection . The 1909 VDB penny . Yes and the fog man . Spraying DDT . Cases of seltzer in the garage . Big gnarly V-8 's on Northern State Parkway . Always the Yankees . The Dodgers in Brooklyn . The Giants at the Polo Grounds . Mays, Mantle and Snider. The Route of the Dashing Commuter . Change at Jamaica . The Eisenhower presidency . Simple times . I have tried to recapture those days . Keeping it simple . Smelling the roses . Pounding my Rawlings mitt . I find as I live the Autumn of my years that I can successfully transport myself to that sweet spot in my life almost at will . Knowing there are people like us Fred that treasure those memories . We had it all Brother .

Hollander Sends

Submitted by NeilHollander on Fri, 10/05/2018 - 04:12

Permalink
Neil Hollander

Come gather 'round people
Wherever you roam
And admit that the waters
Around you have grown
And accept it that soon
You'll be drenched to the bone.
If your time to you
Is worth savin'
Then you better start swimmin'
Or you'll sink like a stone
For the times they are a-changin'.

Hollander Sends

Submitted by Judy_Mauer on Fri, 10/05/2018 - 05:09

Permalink
Judy Mauer

also ..... we had the best music :0)

Submitted by Fred on Fri, 10/05/2018 - 05:35

In reply to by NeilHollander

Permalink
Fred Klein

You probably took over my Newsday route
Corey Bearak

Some of the things you wrote about extended to my early days. For me since I too live near where I grew up, the change involves many more traffic signals and "Four-way Stop" signs, more sewers and seepage basins/ less street flooding and a few undeveloped lots now housing and in one case a shopping center (where I would launch my model rockets.)
P.S. Better music overall in my youth (but probably could not have occurred without what you listened to first (You'll get a taste of what I mean in person in a few weeks.).
Just know that Times Fade Away
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=GVn8jvddl64
Rona Gura

I remember the air raid drills. We had to go out in the hall, get down on our knees, put our heads against the lockers and hand behind our heads. And we had to do this while we were wearing dresses or skirts. My public elementary school didn't permit girls to wear pants until I was in 4th grade.
Cayce Crown

I couldn’t wear pants until my senior year of high school...

Add new comment

Restricted HTML

  • Allowed HTML tags: <a href hreflang> <em> <strong> <cite> <blockquote cite> <code> <ul type> <ol start type> <li> <dl> <dt> <dd> <h2 id> <h3 id> <h4 id> <h5 id> <h6 id>
  • Lines and paragraphs break automatically.
  • Web page addresses and email addresses turn into links automatically.