As one gets older...

[Mr Nobody]

HAH! That’s nothing there were only 25 states in the union when GNT was born!

Nah. The US was still known as the Thirteen Colonies, surely?

 

[Moderator]

Everyone was taught how to write in cursive. Families ate and talked at the dinner table. Everyone had to agree on what to watch on TV because there was only one TV in the house and only 12 channels to pick from. If you lived less than 2 miles away from school you walked. You got kool-aid at whatever house you were playing at. And Ms Mod was already beating up her classmates who used bad grammar.

Nope, I was the "quiet, shy one" who never got in trouble. I didn't find my voice until much later in life, which brings me back to what the thread originally started about. Overall, I'm happier with myself now than I was in my 20s or even 30s. I've learned that my opinion matters, too, and I shouldn't be afraid to express it although I can do that and be tactful if the situation calls for it. Physically, the extra weight is a lot harder to get rid of regardless of how little I eat or how much I exercise and it takes longer to recover when the muscles complain about something I've done. Instead of giving up, though, I know it's even more important to stay active while being sensible about it which is why I keep up with yoga but gave up tae kwon do. I don't feel like I'm my chronological age, which is closer to 66 than 65 now and believe it's as much a state of mind as it is the years. I hope to be like my grandmother who lived until she was 96 and still was on her own and kept active as close to the end as she could.

 

[Grandpa]

Everyone was taught how to write in cursive.

And it had to be neat.

Families ate and talked at the dinner table.

My parents were a little more ... relaxed? Casual? We ate a number of dinners on "TV trays" in the TV room, watching TV.

Everyone had to agree on what to watch on TV because there was only one TV in the house and only 12 channels to pick from.

In our case, three. NBC, CBS, ABC, and the ABC signal was the fuzziest (for those of you wondering how you get a fuzzy signal, it's because all TV was received through an antenna on the TV. The progressive houses had an antenna on the roof). When NET (now PBS) came along, it kinda didn't count, it was so boring, until one memorable program.

If you lived less than 2 miles away from school you walked.

My parochial school didn't have a bus. Luckily, we were only eight or nine blocks away, and I got to know the shortcuts.

You got kool-aid at whatever house you were playing at.

If you were really lucky, 16-oz bottles of Coca-Cola.

No bike helmets.

I'm happier with my descendants wearing helmets. I had my share of close calls. .

And Ms Mod was already beating up her classmates who used bad grammar.

In my school, the nuns beat her to it.

 

[DiO'Bolic]

Nope, I was the "quiet, shy one" who never got in trouble. I didn't find my voice until much later in life, which brings me back to what the thread originally started about. Overall, I'm happier with myself now than I was in my 20s or even 30s. I've learned that my opinion matters, too, and I shouldn't be afraid to express it although I can do that and be tactful if the situation calls for it. Physically, the extra weight is a lot harder to get rid of regardless of how little I eat or how much I exercise and it takes longer to recover when the muscles complain about something I've done. Instead of giving up, though, I know it's even more important to stay active while being sensible about it which is why I keep up with yoga but gave up tae kwon do. I don't feel like I'm my chronological age, which is closer to 66 than 65 now and believe it's as much a state of mind as it is the years. I hope to be like my grandmother who lived until she was 96 and still was on her own and kept active as close to the end as she could.

And, man, did you ever find your voice. I for one am glad you did, even if comes from left field. It makes semi-anonymity fun.

I’m the same in not feeling my chronological age, mentally. But my body feels older than my age... Much to do with a foolish youth. When I wake up in the mornings the first thing that comes to mind is ‘you need to power through this.’ After a half hour or so all cylinders finally start firing... with coffee as a required lubricant.

There are things from the past we miss and long for, again, and things from the present we wouldn’t want any other way.

“When I die, I want to die like my grandfather who died peacefully in his sleep. Not screaming like all the passengers in his car.”

 

[DiO'Bolic]

And it had to be neat.

Me and neat never met. The nuns finally gave up on me.

My parents were a little more ... relaxed? Casual? We ate a number of dinners on "TV trays" in the TV room, watching TV.

Oh, one of thoe kids I envied.

In our case, three. NBC, CBS, ABC, and the ABC signal was the fuzziest (for those of you wondering how you get a fuzzy signal, it's because all TV was received through an antenna on the TV. The progressive houses had an antenna on the roof). When NET (now PBS) came along, it kinda didn't count, it was so boring, until one memorable program.

I forgot about the early antenna years. Yeah, three channels was the max... and you had to reach out the second story window to turn that giant mass of metal to get which of the three you wanted to come in clear.

My parochial school didn't have a bus. Luckily, we were only eight or nine blocks away, and I got to know the shortcuts.

The kids who lived out in the country got to ride the public school bus. But they had to walk from the public school to the Catholic school. They often got out of morning mass because of it. We envied them.

If you were really lucky, 16-oz bottles of Coca-Cola.

Rich kid, eh?

I'm happier with my descendants wearing helmets. I had my share of close calls.

I'm the same with the descendants, but when I do jump on a bike I still don't wear a helmet.

In my school, the nuns beat her to it.

I got my share of beatings from the nuns. I have to remind myself at times not refer to Ms Mod as Mother Superior.

 

[Spideyman]

And, man, did you ever find your voice. I for one am glad you did, even if comes from left field. It makes semi-anonymity fun.

I’m the same in not feeling my chronological age, mentally. But my body feels older than my age... Much to do with a foolish youth. When I wake up in the mornings the first thing that comes to mind is ‘you need to power through this.’ After a half hour or so all cylinders finally start firing... with coffee as a required lubricant.

There are things from the past we miss and long for, again, and things from the present we wouldn’t want any other way.

“When I die, I want to die like my grandfather who died peacefully in his sleep. Not screaming like all the passengers in his car.”

Mentally the mind wants to do, mind has the ability to do (thankful), but the body more often says no way. Being a caregiver took a toll. "ME" came second in many ways. Once in mid 60's it's difficult to get the bod back in shape.

Introvert through childhood. Parents always expected more even with excellent grades. Took me longer than most to find out that self matters. In response to Moderator -- weight at my age sticks like gorilla glue!
I think I do fairly well for 73. Could be better, but could also be worst. Try to be thankful each day.

 

[DiO'Bolic]

Do they still teach this in schools?

It was my undoing. I could never grasp this alien concept.

 

[Spideyman]

Do they still teach this in schools?

It was my undoing. I could never grasp this alien concept.

Nightmares!!!!!!! I went to NY public school until 6th grade. Dad decided they did not provide adequate education. Off to Catholic school. Good gravy what was this foreign thing they required me to do to sentences. What went where? Why? ( oh , never question a nun!) They wanted to fail me in English because I had no idea what to do. Finally caught on, enough to pass.
Neither of my children, FL educated ever learned diagramming sentences.

 

[Neesy]

And you knew when it was time to go home by how dark it was getting.

We were told to come home when the street lights came on.

 

[Neesy]

Do they still teach this in schools?

It was my undoing. I could never grasp this alien concept.

I kind of doubt that Sue forgot her Latin book.

They don't teach Latin any more (at least I'm pretty sure they do not).

I had a captain at work use the word sinister (back in the 90s) and he was saying something about his left hand. It went completely over my head and he looked disgusted, so I had to go look up the origin of the word sinister.

It is interesting to look up words to find their origin.

My sister also took a course in high school where they learned how to write properly - I mean forming letters, doing exercises with the pen etc.

I had to go look up the proper terminology - it was called "Penmanship" - it was an actual course they took for an hour a day and they would earn one high school credit for it.

I know some doctors who probably should have taken this course!

 

[fljoe0]

When I was child, we did not worry about being taken by a stranger.

You didn't get the "don't take candy from strangers" speech? I don't think mom ever explained why, just don't do it. It probably would have been a lot more effective advice if she would have told me why.

 

[Neesy]

You didn't get the "don't take candy from strangers" speech? I don't think mom ever explained why, just don't do it. It probably would have been a lot more effective advice if she would have told me why.

 

[Kurben]

 

[mcpon14]

You didn't get the "don't take candy from strangers" speech? I don't think mom ever explained why, just don't do it. It probably would have been a lot more effective advice if she would have told me why.

Man, when I was a child, I offered a stranger some candy (real candy, not a euphemism for anything) to drive me somewhere and he said no.

 

[GNTLGNT]

HAH! That’s nothing there were only 25 states in the union when GNT was born!

....was the colony of Kizzmyazz still around?....why yes, I believe it was.......

 

[GNTLGNT]

Nah. The US was still known as the Thirteen Colonies, surely?

 

[Out of Order]

Man, when I was a child, I offered a stranger some candy (real candy, not a euphemism for anything) to drive me somewhere and he said no.

Should have gone with the Snickers.........

 

[ghost19]

....was the colony of Kizzmyazz still around?....why yes, I believe it was.......

LMAO.....

 

[Grandpa]

Oh, one of thoe kids I envied.

After those years of TV dinners growing up - and, in fact, when you could bring reading material to the dinner table - when Grandma and I were raising the kids, dinner was at the table, and it was sacrosanct. No distractions. If the phone rang, it went unanswered. Dinner was family time.

I didn't realize how remarkable this was until we had a foreign exchange student (from Japan) who stayed with us for a year. For about the first month, every night at the dinner table, she looked in confusion at the lively exchange that she couldn't keep up with. That was when I actually did take pride in our tradition.

Rich kid, eh?

Not whatsoever. I was talking about being over at someone else's house - although we did have 16-oz Coke bottles from time to time, returned faithfully for the deposits.

I would describe my upbringing as lower middle class. Enough to afford a mortgage (Dad was a veteran), not enough to keep us out of worries about bills. When I went to college, I did so on grants and my own dime.

I'm the same with the descendants, but when I do jump on a bike I still don't wear a helmet.

I understand the sentiment. I do, but I've been riding a motorcycle since age 16, and a helmet has saved me from a brain spill more than once.

 

[Hill lover35]

What made me think about my age was how tired I was after driving a long distance over about 10 days (to Toronto and back) - when I got home I swear I pretty much slept for three days! (Well, not three days straight but I was glad I had a few days off to recuperate before returning to work).

Yeah - my doctor wants us to do those FOBT things too - Andy refuses to do it. A few years ago I attempted it (you should read the instructions

Anyway, I had a colonoscopy and gastroscopy four years ago plus I eat lots of fibre and try to include more fruit and veggies in my diet. I suppose there is always the chance I could get colon cancer but it doesn't run in my family.

Is this the one where you have to use the strips of paper or something to get some of your poop on it? My mom hates it and it looks gross