So it's the older generations fault?
12-11-2011, 10:49 AM
#1
Power Poster
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: Front row
Posts: 14,646
So it's the older generations fault?
Received this in my email. I'm going to use these remarks next time a save the earth because we are smarter then you were, gets in my face again.
The "Green" Thing
In the line at the store, the cashier told an older woman that she
should bring her own grocery bags because plastic bags weren't good
for the environment.
The woman apologized to him and explained, "We didn't have the green
thing back in my day."
The clerk responded, "That's our problem today. Your generation did
not care enough to save our environment."
He was right -- our generation didn't have the green thing in its day.
Back then, we returned milk bottles, soda bottles and beer bottles to
the store. The store sent them back to the plant to be washed and
sterilized and refilled, so it could use the same bottles over and
over. So they really were recycled.
But we didn't have the green thing back in our day.
We walked up stairs, because we didn't have an escalator in every
store and office building. We walked to the grocery store and didn't
climb into a 300-horsepower machine every time we had to go two
blocks.
But she was right. We didn't have the green thing in our day.
Back then, we washed the baby's diapers because we didn't have the
throw-away kind. We dried clothes on a line, not in an energy
gobbling machine burning up 220 volts -- wind and solar power really
did dry the clothes. Kids got hand-me-down clothes from their
brothers or sisters, not always brand-new clothing. But that old lady
is right; we didn't have the green thing back in our day.
Back then, we had one TV, or radio, in the house -- not a TV in every
room. And the TV had a small screen the size of a handkerchief
(remember them?), not a screen the size of the state of Montana .
In the kitchen, we blended and stirred by hand because we didn't have
electric machines to do everything for us.
When we packaged a fragile item to send in the mail, we used a wadded
up old newspaper to cushion it, not Styrofoam or plastic bubble wrap.
Back then, we didn't fire up an engine and burn gasoline just to cut
the lawn. We used a push mower that ran on human power. We exercised
by working so we didn't need to go to a health club to run on
treadmills that operate on electricity.
But she's right; we didn't have the green thing back then.
We drank from a fountain when we were thirsty instead of using a cup
or a plastic bottle every time we had a drink of water.
We refilled writing pens with ink instead of buying a new pen, and we
replaced the razor blades in a razor instead of throwing away the
whole razor just because the blade got dull.
But we didn't have the green thing back then.
Back then, people took the streetcar or a bus and kids rode their
bikes to school or walked instead of turning their moms into a 24-hour
taxi service.
We had one electrical outlet in a room, not an entire bank of sockets
to power a dozen appliances. And we didn't need a computerized gadget
to receive a signal beamed from satellites 2,000 miles out in space in
order to find the nearest pizza joint.
But isn't it sad the current generation laments how wasteful we old
folks were just because we didn't have the green thing back then?
Please forward this on to another selfish old person who needs a
lesson in conservation from a young person.
The Green Thing
The "Green" Thing
In the line at the store, the cashier told an older woman that she
should bring her own grocery bags because plastic bags weren't good
for the environment.
The woman apologized to him and explained, "We didn't have the green
thing back in my day."
The clerk responded, "That's our problem today. Your generation did
not care enough to save our environment."
He was right -- our generation didn't have the green thing in its day.
Back then, we returned milk bottles, soda bottles and beer bottles to
the store. The store sent them back to the plant to be washed and
sterilized and refilled, so it could use the same bottles over and
over. So they really were recycled.
But we didn't have the green thing back in our day.
We walked up stairs, because we didn't have an escalator in every
store and office building. We walked to the grocery store and didn't
climb into a 300-horsepower machine every time we had to go two
blocks.
But she was right. We didn't have the green thing in our day.
Back then, we washed the baby's diapers because we didn't have the
throw-away kind. We dried clothes on a line, not in an energy
gobbling machine burning up 220 volts -- wind and solar power really
did dry the clothes. Kids got hand-me-down clothes from their
brothers or sisters, not always brand-new clothing. But that old lady
is right; we didn't have the green thing back in our day.
Back then, we had one TV, or radio, in the house -- not a TV in every
room. And the TV had a small screen the size of a handkerchief
(remember them?), not a screen the size of the state of Montana .
In the kitchen, we blended and stirred by hand because we didn't have
electric machines to do everything for us.
When we packaged a fragile item to send in the mail, we used a wadded
up old newspaper to cushion it, not Styrofoam or plastic bubble wrap.
Back then, we didn't fire up an engine and burn gasoline just to cut
the lawn. We used a push mower that ran on human power. We exercised
by working so we didn't need to go to a health club to run on
treadmills that operate on electricity.
But she's right; we didn't have the green thing back then.
We drank from a fountain when we were thirsty instead of using a cup
or a plastic bottle every time we had a drink of water.
We refilled writing pens with ink instead of buying a new pen, and we
replaced the razor blades in a razor instead of throwing away the
whole razor just because the blade got dull.
But we didn't have the green thing back then.
Back then, people took the streetcar or a bus and kids rode their
bikes to school or walked instead of turning their moms into a 24-hour
taxi service.
We had one electrical outlet in a room, not an entire bank of sockets
to power a dozen appliances. And we didn't need a computerized gadget
to receive a signal beamed from satellites 2,000 miles out in space in
order to find the nearest pizza joint.
But isn't it sad the current generation laments how wasteful we old
folks were just because we didn't have the green thing back then?
Please forward this on to another selfish old person who needs a
lesson in conservation from a young person.
The Green Thing
12-11-2011, 01:03 PM
#3
Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: Western Montana
Posts: 414
I've seen this one also. I too, am of the non-green generation who lived like my grandkids do now when their priviledges are taken away...no computer, no T.V. no phone, no video games, no soda pop, no candy, no gum. It is amazing that any of us survived such a "deprived" up-bringing. We made do with what we had and fixed things up and passed them on, we just didn't know we were recycling.
12-11-2011, 03:55 PM
#5
Junior Member
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: N.E.Georgia
Posts: 216
I am also 1 of those old people.How did we survive?How did my kids make it,they played outside,made mud pies ate some of it.rode in car with no seat belt or safety seat,1 tv when we finally got it,then someone had to go outside and turn the antenna till someone inside said okay.Bought groceries once a week.Of course I remember as a child we lived in the country and my Mama bought them once a month.My GM drawed water from the well on the back porch.I don`t know how I got to be an older person since I was so deprived.
12-11-2011, 08:45 PM
#8
Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: central Minnesots
Posts: 318
Originally Posted by quilter1942
I am also 1 of those old people.How did we survive?How did my kids make it,they played outside,made mud pies ate some of it.rode in car with no seat belt or safety seat,1 tv when we finally got it,then someone had to go outside and turn the antenna till someone inside said okay.Bought groceries once a week.Of course I remember as a child we lived in the country and my Mama bought them once a month.My GM drawed water from the well on the back porch.I don`t know how I got to be an older person since I was so deprived.
12-11-2011, 11:07 PM
#9
Senior Member
Join Date: May 2011
Location: Johnson City, TN.
Posts: 875
I have never seen this email before & I love it. Please let's not forget the paper boy that walked or rode a bicycle from house to house, not someone driving a car throwing your paper out. Also the sweet mail carriers that walked all day in all kinds of weather, never a mail truck back then. Thank you so much for sharing. Now I have a few people to send this to. 
12-12-2011, 12:51 AM
#10
Super Member
Join Date: May 2011
Location: Phoenix, AZ.
Posts: 1,342
Well back in my day, the cashier had to know how to count money back, there were no credit cards, no debit cards, etc. Most people paid in cash, and got change. My Mom did not have an automatic clothes washer, she had one of those wringer washers, I guess that is what they were called. And the clothes hung on the line to dry. I have no idea how we survived all this we were certainly not green and from the perspective of others we were certainly deprived! But...back in those days, our children played in the streets and had fun with others. They did not stay inside playing some game on the television all day. I am not so sure we are better off in this "green world" ....
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