For The 50's And Over

BrightBlessings · 28 Jun 2010

This is for the over 50 generation and those that love them:

I thought about the 30 year business I ran with 1800 employees, all without a Blackberry that played music, took videos, pictures and communicated with Facebook and Twitter.
I signed up under duress for Twitter and Facebook, so my seven kids, their spouses, 13 grandkids and 2 great grand kids could communicate with me in the modern way. I figured I could handle something as simple as Twitter with only 140 characters of space.
That was before one of my grandkids hooked me up for Tweeter, Tweetree, Twhirl, Twitterfon, Tweetie and Twittererific Tweetdeck, Twitpix and something that sends every message to my cell phone and every other program within the texting world.
My phone was beeping every three minutes with the details of everything except the bowel movements of the entire next generation. I am not ready to live like this. I keep my cell phone in the garage in my golf bag.
The kids bought me a GPS for my last birthday because they say I get lost every now and then going over to the grocery store or library. I keep that in a box under my tool bench with the Blue tooth [it's red] phone I am supposed to use when I drive. I wore it once and was standing in line at Barnes and Noble talking to my wife as everyone in the nearest 50 yards was glaring at me. Seems I have to take my hearing aid out to use it,
and I got a little loud.
I mean the GPS looked pretty smart on my dash board, but the lady inside was the most annoying, rudest person I had run into in a long time. Every 10 minutes, she would sarcastically say, "Re-calc-ul-ating". You would think that she could be nicer. It was like she could barely tolerate me. She would let go with a deep sigh and then tell me to make a U-turn at the next light. Then when I would make a right turn instead, it was not good.
When I get really lost now, I call my wife and tell her the name of the cross streets and while she is starting to develop the same tone as Gypsy, the GPS lady, at least she loves me.
To be perfectly frank, I am still trying to learn how to use the cordless phones in our house. We have had them for 4 years, but I still haven't figured out how I can lose three phones all at once and have run around digging under chair cushions and checking bathrooms and the dirty laundry baskets when the phone rings.
The world is just getting too complex for me. They even mess me up every time I go to the grocery store. You would think they could settle on something themselves but this sudden "Paper or Plastic?" every time I check out just knocks me for a loop. I bought some of those cloth reusable bags to avoid looking confused, but I never remember to take them in with me.
Now I toss it back to them. When they ask me, "Paper or Plastic?" I just say, "Doesn't matter to me. I am bi-sacksual." Then it's their turn to stare at me with a blank look.
I was recently asked if I tweet. I answered, No, but I do toot a lot."
PS
I know some of you are not over 50; I sent it to you to allow you to forward it to those who are.

derekimo · 28 Jun 2010

I'm not quite 50 yet but thanks for the smile, BrightBlessings.

theog · 28 Jun 2010

Thank's, I am over 50.

Wishmaster · 28 Jun 2010

Thanks for sharing that :)

MWRed · 29 Jun 2010

I'm not near 50 (i'm 34) but even back when I started driving, back in '92, half the fun was driving, getting lost, and finding your way back. Didn't have a cell phone, no mp3 players, no GPS. I still can't force myself to get a GPS, although I got a phone, which I still barely use.
My 14yr old has it all, a phone, with web,and built in GPS, every game system you could imagine, an iPod, a laptop, and I just can't imagine having all of this when I was younger. I would have missed out on a lot.

IMO.....the younger generation is just so spoiled, it's sickening. Give me a country home, middle of nowhere, with a landline, 5 channels over the air, and some trees, and i'd be more than happy.

Not really totally on topic, but I still find this funny, if ya think about it, especially the parts highlighted.....

TO ALL THE KIDS WHO SURVIVED the 50's, 60's and 70's!

First, we survived being born to mothers who smoked and/or
drank while they carried us.

They took aspirin, ate blue cheese dressing, tuna from a can,
and didn't get tested for diabetes.

Then after that trauma, our baby cribs were covered with bright
colored lead-based paints.

We had no childproof lids on medicine bottles, doors or
cabinets and when we rode our bikes, we had no helmets, not to
mention, the risks we took hitchhiking.

As children, we would ride in cars with no seat belts or air
bags.

Riding in the back of a pick up on a warm day was always a
special treat.

We drank water from the garden hose and NOT from a bottle.

We shared one soft drink with four friends, from one bottle and
NO ONE actually died from this.

We ate cupcakes, white bread and real butter and drank soda pop
with sugar in it, but we weren't overweight because WE WERE
ALWAYS OUTSIDE PLAYING!

We would leave home in the morning and play all day, as long as
we were back when the streetlights came on.

No one was able to reach us all day. And we were O.K.

We would spend hours building our go-carts out of scraps and
then ride down the hill, only to find out we forgot the brakes.
After running into the bushes a few times, we learned to solve
the problem.

We did not have Playstations, Nintendo's, X-boxes, no video
games at all, no 99 channels on cable, no video tape movies, no
surround sound, no cell phones, no personal computers, no
Internet or Internet chat rooms...WE HAD FRIENDS and we went
outside and found them!

We fell out of trees, got cut, broke bones and teeth and there
were no lawsuits from these accidents.

We ate worms and mud pies made from dirt, and the worms did
not live in us forever.

We were given BB guns for our 10th birthdays, made up games with
sticks and tennis balls and although we were told it would
happen, we did not put out very many eyes.

We rode bikes or walked to a friend's house and knocked on the
door or rang the bell, or just walked in and talked to them!

Little League had tryouts and not everyone made the team. Those
who didn't had to learn to deal with disappointment. Imagine
that!

The idea of a parent bailing us out if we broke the law was
unheard of. They actually sided with the law!

This generation has produced some of the best risk-takers,
problem solvers and inventors ever! The past 50 years have
been an explosion of innovation and new ideas.

We had freedom, failure, success and responsibility, and we
learned HOW TO DEAL WITH IT ALL.

And YOU are one of them! CONGRATULATIONS!

gladson1976 · 30 Jun 2010

I'm not 50 yet (got 16 more to go), but I sure do miss the good old days

kodi · 30 Jun 2010

MWRed said:

I'm not near 50 (i'm 34) but even back when I started driving, back in '92, half the fun was driving, getting lost, and finding your way back. Didn't have a cell phone, no mp3 players, no GPS. I still can't force myself to get a GPS, although I got a phone, which I still barely use.
My 14yr old has it all, a phone, with web,and built in GPS, every game system you could imagine, an iPod, a laptop, and I just can't imagine having all of this when I was younger. I would have missed out on a lot.

IMO.....the younger generation is just so spoiled, it's sickening. Give me a country home, middle of nowhere, with a landline, 5 channels over the air, and some trees, and i'd be more than happy.

Not really totally on topic, but I still find this funny, if ya think about it, especially the parts highlighted.....

TO ALL THE KIDS WHO SURVIVED the 50's, 60's and 70's!

First, we survived being born to mothers who smoked and/or
drank while they carried us.

They took aspirin, ate blue cheese dressing, tuna from a can,
and didn't get tested for diabetes.

Then after that trauma, our baby cribs were covered with bright
colored lead-based paints.

We had no childproof lids on medicine bottles, doors or
cabinets and when we rode our bikes, we had no helmets, not to
mention, the risks we took hitchhiking.

As children, we would ride in cars with no seat belts or air
bags.

Riding in the back of a pick up on a warm day was always a
special treat.

We drank water from the garden hose and NOT from a bottle.

We shared one soft drink with four friends, from one bottle and
NO ONE actually died from this.

We ate cupcakes, white bread and real butter and drank soda pop
with sugar in it, but we weren't overweight because WE WERE
ALWAYS OUTSIDE PLAYING!

We would leave home in the morning and play all day, as long as
we were back when the streetlights came on.

No one was able to reach us all day. And we were O.K.

We would spend hours building our go-carts out of scraps and
then ride down the hill, only to find out we forgot the brakes.
After running into the bushes a few times, we learned to solve
the problem.

We did not have Playstations, Nintendo's, X-boxes, no video
games at all, no 99 channels on cable, no video tape movies, no
surround sound, no cell phones, no personal computers, no
Internet or Internet chat rooms...WE HAD FRIENDS and we went
outside and found them!

We fell out of trees, got cut, broke bones and teeth and there
were no lawsuits from these accidents.

We ate worms and mud pies made from dirt, and the worms did
not live in us forever.

We were given BB guns for our 10th birthdays, made up games with
sticks and tennis balls and although we were told it would
happen, we did not put out very many eyes.

We rode bikes or walked to a friend's house and knocked on the
door or rang the bell, or just walked in and talked to them!

Little League had tryouts and not everyone made the team. Those
who didn't had to learn to deal with disappointment. Imagine
that!

The idea of a parent bailing us out if we broke the law was
unheard of. They actually sided with the law!

This generation has produced some of the best risk-takers,
problem solvers and inventors ever! The past 50 years have
been an explosion of innovation and new ideas.

We had freedom, failure, success and responsibility, and we
learned HOW TO DEAL WITH IT ALL.

And YOU are one of them! CONGRATULATIONS!

I can relate to all the above,they were the best days of my life.
With one small exception I had a stick stuck in my right eye when I was sword fighting with my Brother

johnwillyums · 30 Jun 2010

I'm over 50 and I now have more friends I don't know than ones that I do know. That's progress.

CarlTR6 · 30 Jun 2010

I'm well over 50 and I can relate to both of these!

SIW2 · 30 Jun 2010

That's great - where's it from?

MWRed said:

I'm not near 50 (i'm 34) but even back when I started driving, back in '92, half the fun was driving, getting lost, and finding your way back. Didn't have a cell phone, no mp3 players, no GPS. I still can't force myself to get a GPS, although I got a phone, which I still barely use.
My 14yr old has it all, a phone, with web,and built in GPS, every game system you could imagine, an iPod, a laptop, and I just can't imagine having all of this when I was younger. I would have missed out on a lot.

IMO.....the younger generation is just so spoiled, it's sickening. Give me a country home, middle of nowhere, with a landline, 5 channels over the air, and some trees, and i'd be more than happy.

Not really totally on topic, but I still find this funny, if ya think about it, especially the parts highlighted.....

TO ALL THE KIDS WHO SURVIVED the 50's, 60's and 70's!

First, we survived being born to mothers who smoked and/or
drank while they carried us.

They took aspirin, ate blue cheese dressing, tuna from a can,
and didn't get tested for diabetes.

Then after that trauma, our baby cribs were covered with bright
colored lead-based paints.

We had no childproof lids on medicine bottles, doors or
cabinets and when we rode our bikes, we had no helmets, not to
mention, the risks we took hitchhiking.

As children, we would ride in cars with no seat belts or air
bags.

Riding in the back of a pick up on a warm day was always a
special treat.

We drank water from the garden hose and NOT from a bottle.

We shared one soft drink with four friends, from one bottle and
NO ONE actually died from this.

We ate cupcakes, white bread and real butter and drank soda pop
with sugar in it, but we weren't overweight because WE WERE
ALWAYS OUTSIDE PLAYING!

We would leave home in the morning and play all day, as long as
we were back when the streetlights came on.

No one was able to reach us all day. And we were O.K.

We would spend hours building our go-carts out of scraps and
then ride down the hill, only to find out we forgot the brakes.
After running into the bushes a few times, we learned to solve
the problem.

We did not have Playstations, Nintendo's, X-boxes, no video
games at all, no 99 channels on cable, no video tape movies, no
surround sound, no cell phones, no personal computers, no
Internet or Internet chat rooms...WE HAD FRIENDS and we went
outside and found them!

We fell out of trees, got cut, broke bones and teeth and there
were no lawsuits from these accidents.

We ate worms and mud pies made from dirt, and the worms did
not live in us forever.

We were given BB guns for our 10th birthdays, made up games with
sticks and tennis balls and although we were told it would
happen, we did not put out very many eyes.

We rode bikes or walked to a friend's house and knocked on the
door or rang the bell, or just walked in and talked to them!

Little League had tryouts and not everyone made the team. Those
who didn't had to learn to deal with disappointment. Imagine
that!

The idea of a parent bailing us out if we broke the law was
unheard of. They actually sided with the law!

This generation has produced some of the best risk-takers,
problem solvers and inventors ever! The past 50 years have
been an explosion of innovation and new ideas.

We had freedom, failure, success and responsibility, and we
learned HOW TO DEAL WITH IT ALL.

And YOU are one of them! CONGRATULATIONS!