Ditter43

HEY, WASN'T THIS US ?

A little house with three bedrooms,
one bathroom and one car on the street.
A mower that you had to push
to make the grass look neat.


In the kitchen on the wall
we only had one phone,
And no need for recording things,
someone was always home.


We only had a living room
where we would congregate,
unless it was at mealtime
in the kitchen where we ate.


We had no need for family rooms
or extra rooms to dine.
When meeting as a family
those two rooms would work out fine.


We only had one TV set
and channels maybe two,
But always there was one of them
with something worth the view.

For snacks we had potato chips
that tasted like a chip.
And if you wanted flavor
there was Lipton's onion dip.


Store-bought snacks were rare because
our mother's liked to cook
and nothing can compare to snacks
in Betty Crocker's book.


Weekends were for family trips
or staying home to play.
We all did things together --
even go to church to pray.


When we did our weekend trips
depending on the weather,
no one stayed at home because
we liked to be together.


Sometimes we would separate
to do things on our own,
but we knew where the others were
without our own cell phone.

Then there were the movies
with your favorite movie star,
and nothing can compare
to watching movies in your car.


Then there were the picnics
at the peak of summer season,
pack a lunch and find some trees
and never need a reason.


Get a baseball game together
with all the friends you know,
have real action playing ball --
and no game video.


Remember when the doctor
used to be the family friend,
and didn't need insurance
or a lawyer to defend?


The way that he took care of you
or what he had to do,
because he took an oath and strived
to do the best for you.

Remember going to the store
and shopping casually,
and when you went to pay for it
you used your own money?


Nothing that you had to swipe
or punch in some amount,
and remember when the cashier person
had to really count?


The milkman used to go
from door to door,
And it was just a few cents more
than going to the store.


There was a time when mailed letters
came right to your door,
without a lot of junk mail ads
sent out by every store.

The mailman knew each house by name
and knew where it was sent;
there were not loads of mail addressed
to "present occupant."


There was a time when just one glance
was all that it would take,
and you would know the kind of car,
the model and the make.


They didn't look like turtles
trying to squeeze out every mile;
they were streamlined, white walls, fins
and really had some style.



One time the music that you played
whenever you would jive,
was from a vinyl, big-holed record
called a forty-five.


The record player had a post
to keep them all in line
and then the records would drop down
and play one at a time.


Oh sure, we had our problems then,
just like we do today
and always we were striving,
trying for a better way.

Oh, the simple life we lived
still seems like so much fun,
how can you explain a game,
just kick the can and run?


And why would boys put baseball cards
between bicycle spokes
and for a nickel, red machines
had little bottled Cokes?



This life seemed so much easier
and slower in some ways.
I love the new technology
but I sure do miss those days.

So time moves on and so do we
and nothing stays the same,
but I sure love to reminisce
and walk down memory lane.
With all today's technology
we grant that it's a plus!
But it's fun to look way back and say,
Hey look,guys, THAT WAS US!

Grandma Bonnie

Thanks for posting this, Ditter. It's all so true and fun to remember!

DebbE

Thank you for that - brought back lots of memories....I DO miss the old days in many ways. But I also appreciate some of the new things --- DVD's, rotary cutters, cutting mats, my Bernina & Husqvarna, pellet stoves...... : )

ptquilts

I can remember going out for a "Sunday drive." No place special, just driving. And when someone got a new car, of course you wanted to go for a ride in it.

nivosum

Thanks for the walk down memory lane.

JudyTheSewer

Yep, that was our family! Four kids jumped in the back seat (no seat belts in that car) and off we went. There was no telling where we would end up. I learned a lot about the areas surrounding our home and history. It was fun.

Jan in VA

We played "down in the woods" all day - 9 hours - walking in the creek, eating our sandwich sitting on a big rock, and nobody worried about us or fussed that we'd been "out of touch" for that long.

How I longed for my kids to know a life like that which I had. Now I want it for my grandson. Sigh.

Jan in VA

raynhamquilter

Yes we could play outside for hours and no one worried about us because we were together. Wish it were so today. Not so easy for young parents. Glad to have grown up in the 50's but sure am glad for a lot of the changes.

Sunnye

Yep, it was.
But I still don't know what kick the can was. I think that was even before me!

Stitchit123

Those were the days of 1/2 a tank to get there the other 1/2 to get back leave after fridays dinner - load the back of the wagon with hampers and blankets and all 7 of us kids singing to the radio laughing -telling silly jokes - falling asleep under the stars curled up side by side - waking up to Ma cooking bacon and eggs in an iron skillet on a fire, while Dad made toasted bread. My son and me did the same thing we sang to the radio - told the same old jokes - fished for our dinners - curled up in our blankets side by side by a fire talking til sleep over took us..I sure do miss those good ol days