The "Green thing!"

[Jerry]

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. We were all thinner then!!!

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?

May I add....kids were NOT obese like today, they had RECESS at school, and really played....kids in the city, WALKED home, or road a bike. Kids in the country WALKED home from the bus stop. Kids also had chores, washed the dishes, took care of pets, and gardens .... For the most part, MOMS were home when you

[2vetts]

yes sir , never had a fridge till i was about 10 and no tv until i was 12 and those were my uncles old ones . parents never owned a car nor a house [mother got her parents house when they died but she was widowed by then] . never heard of organized sports for kids we just got a group and played what ever we chose . i peddled evening papers and sold the morning paper on street corner before going to school . didn't realize at the time but those were the best days i'll ever have [ although we have many more ''things'' now] . they were also the best days this country will ever see i suspect . . .by the way we used to get two cents each for ''recycling'' pop bottles .

[mascot]

Funny!   I was just telling someone the other day how we used to make plans by asking them on Tuesday if they wanted to go to the park on our bikes on Saturday, but these days people get on their cell Saturday morning while they are on their way to the park (in their car), and ask you if you want to meet them there. 

I'm always amazed at how many cars are parked in line at a achool, they're building new schools to accomodate the hundreds of cars waiting to pick kids up!  When I was a kid, I don't remember anyone getting a ride home unless it was on a school bus.  Now there are cars lining the streets for an entire block waiting to take a kid home so they won't have to ride the bus.

[Jerry]

How we loved chasing the horse drawn ice wagon and snitching small pieces of ice on a hot day!

[2vetts]

milk man also had a horse and wagon as did the [don't look at the spelling as this is first try ever] sheeny [the guy that came down alley blowing a horn buying ''junk''] . after seeing antique road show i think he was just ahead of his time and would be a rich man today .

[miguynmkoi]

We grew up green before it was mode.  Fortunately I raised my kids the same way and it isn't a stretch for them to go "green" today. 

[Esther]

The other day I was in  a group of 4 teens. The subject of school came up. I said I lived about 2 miles from the little one room school, from mid second grade until they sent me to the BIG SCHOOL in 7th grade and I rode the bus. They asked if the same bus took me to elementary school, or did my parents drop me off. I said, "No, I walked goth ways, usually alone." Their mouths fell open and you could tell by the looks on their faces that at first they didn't believe me. I began to talk about what I did on the way home, along the mill pond and dam, along the railroad tracks, and along the one area that was real shady. I was never bored walking all that ways. I don't think I was ever late for school and never "got in trouble" during that walk. Yup, now we wouldn't dare let our little kids do something like that. Sad.

[Mikey]

I'm telling Lydia on you Esther that you used her favorite pet-peeve phrase, "the other day".