I'm not that old, but I remember when...


1) When running shoes were what you were wearing while trying to catch the
bus.


2) When you threw a telephone it had enough mass to put a hole in the wall
or severely dent the floor!
 

3) When all phones ringers sounded the same
 

4) When TV choices were CBS/NBC/ABC and a fringe UHF station... Oh and PBS
which was mostly for little kids.
 

5) When I was elated I could get the ABC station from a nearby state. This
was needed so I could watch a new racy TV show called Soap that my state's station
refused to show!
 Why? Because it had a gay character on it.


6) When if you wanted to take naughty pictures you either had to do them B&W
and develop them yourself or find a place that developed anything and
hopefully didn't keep too many copies for themselves.
 

7) When buying something made in another country meant it was some exotic
item.
 

8) When there were actual and real Army Surplus Stores
 

9) When "Watching A Movie" meant a crowded theatre and delightfully too much
butter on the popcorn.
 

10) When cars consisted of a few American companies and "Overseas Exotics"
affordable only to the rich.
 

11) When 7-11 actually were the hours of operation.
 

12) When "Car Phones" were status items and really were attached to the car
 

13) When Pagers just beeped!


14) When Pagers were the size of a pack of cigarettes but showed the number
you needed to call back on your car phone if they were worthy of paying the
airtime for.
 

15) When Caller ID meant saying "hello?" 
 

16) When Caller ID meant Screening on your 100.00 Answering machine.


17) When people Actually thought satin polyester was cool!
 

18) When just wearing back leather made you a rebel!
 

19) When payphones were a nickel...and actually received calls.
 

20) When stores had payphones in them.
 

21) When 2-Liter bottles of soda were new and had a nasty habit of exploding
in the fridge.
 

22) When buying an item actually meant you had to leave your house!
 

23) When "The Net" was what you wanted to avoid when playing ping pong or
badminton.
 

24) When mail came on paper and took at least a day.


25) When FedEx installed "Instamail" or "Fax Mail" stations at their
locations.
 However had to abandon the project as they had a hard time finding people
who could fathom an "instant message" and why on earth they would need something that
fast.


26) When the idea of a "personal computer" was in some science fiction
stories. 
   But mostly people had no idea why they would need such a thing.


27) When computers were (and were shown in movies as)  rows of switches
controlling things the size of several refrigerators.
 

28) When people actually saved up for things they wanted and credit was only
something you got at your bank if you were a business.
 

29) Sadly... When people really did sell pencils on the street. Now they
just ask for money.


30) Sadly... when marrying someone not of your same color could get you
ostracized.
 

31) Sadly... when kids in school really did want to learn
 

32) Sadly... When people actually believed that cigarettes didn't cause
cancer and other problems... Of course this is still sadly somewhat true
today.



 Written Early 2005 - Who knows what 2006 will change