In My Day

We've all heard the stories that begin with the words "In my day..."  Sometimes as a child I would roll my eyes when these stories would begin but as I got older I loved hearing them.  After my last post, I received an email from my dad.  Reading my blog post triggered his memory about his childhood. 

 My dad grew up in an area that is now a developed city but was quite rural at the time.  I wanted to post part of his email because it is so amazing to see how much things have changed and because I want to have it recorded somewhere for Emily to read someday and remember how things were  "In Aba's Day"... 

-- One grocery store within 15 miles, got dressed ( in our Sunday best) to go shop.

-- 20 miles to a doctor and no way to get there during the day, the family had one car and dad used it. The doctor made house calls.

-- No TV until was 14 years old

-- No Telephone, we did get one (party line) when I was about 5 years old, it was used by the entire community.

-- We had a radio, and it was on all day, soaps, country music, and late evening westerns

--  Evening super, we all were around the table. every evening, that was our texting, we spoke in entire sentences.

-- Stores (all stores including Theaters) were closed on Sunday (all Day).

--  We all had "work" to do in the mornings and in the afternoon after school. At least 1 to 2 hours each side of the day.
--  Penny postcards, and 4 cent stamps for letters, people really wrote letters.

-- Sunday dinner after church, if we had chicken, we had to kill it , cleans it, butcher it, cook it before we enjoyed it. You haven't smelled anything until
you smell  "wet feathers" it never leaves you. WE had a large garden, my brother and I were responsible for what it produced and it was a big deal,

-- Waiting Rooms at doctors, no way to make appointments, so you went and waited.............. for your turn.

--  If you were found in the house "just hanging", ... you were given something to do.

-- I mention the "work thing" for children because that to was part of the technology. Kids were counted on to be parts of the labor force, at least in farming areas.

-- Most of them were paid as well, but their money was to be used for necessities such as jeans, shirts, shoes, school supplies, etc....

-- Later when we did have a TV, the stations (2) came on around 7:00am and went off the air at 11:00 pm, They played "Dixie" at the end of the day, had day devotions and prayers during the day.

-- Most kids would have a soft drink (soda) maybe once every week or two. Desert only on Sundays after Dinner (mid day meal).
-- Most kids got a toy every six months, on average. you were expected to use saws, knives etc to make toys.

--  We cut our Christmas tree on the farm, it was a cedar tree. We got one toy from Santa. and a stocking from mom and dad, candy, oranges , and nuts, none of that stuff other times of the year.

--  If I wanted to go to a store during the day, I walked or rode my bike, 2 miles, I often made trips downtown or to Cameron Village, 15 miles round trip. All by myself at about 8 years old.

--  We played with knives, BB guns at age 6-8 years too, we got hurt sometimes, but that was a part of life.

-- Driving tractors and riding mules at age 4 or 5. The tractor and mule was a tool not a toy, and had to know how to use them and take care of them.

-- Smoking cigarettes we made, and getting our butts kicked.

-- Walking to our baseball practice and games.

-- No preschool or kindergarten. No music classes, no swimming lessons, we learn in the farm pond with the fish and snakes.

Isn't that amazing?  Thanks Dad for sharing!!!