Survivors born before 1940

We were born before Television, before penicillin, pollo shirts, frozen foods, Xerox, plastic, contact lenses, videos, camcorders, atoms, laser beams, ballpoint pens before dishwashers, tumble dryers, electric blankets, air conditioners, drip dry clothes, and before man walked on the Moon.

We got married first and then lived together ( how quaint can you be?). We thought fast food was what you ate in Lent,  a Big Mac was an oversized raincoat and crumpet we had for tea. We existed before house husbands, computer data, dual careers, and when a meaningful relationship meant getting along with your cousins, and when sheltered accommodation was were you waited for a bus.

We are born before the day care centres, group homes and disposable nappies. We never heard of FM Radio, Tape decks, electric typewriters, artificial hearts, word processors, yoghurt and young men wearing earrings. For us time-sharing  meant togetherness, a chip was a piece of wood or a fried potato, hardware meant nuts and bolts and software was not a word. Before 1940, Made in Japan meant Junk. The term making out referred to how you did in you exams, stud was something that fastened a collar to a shirt and going all the way meant staying on a double decker to the bus depot. Pizza, McDonalds and instant coffee were unheard of.

In our day cigarette smoking was fashionable, grass was mown, coke was kept in the coal house, a joint was a piece of meat you had on Sundays, and pot was something you cooked in. Rock music was Grandma’s lullaby, Eldorado was an ice cream, a gay person was the life and soul of the party and nothing more, while Aids just meant beauty treatment, or help for someone in trouble.

We who were born before 1940 must be hardy a bunch when you think of the way in which this world has changed, and the adjustments we have had to make. 

No Wonder we were confused  and there is a generation gap today.

But,  by the grace of God, we have survived!

Allelujah