[Shipping up to Boston]

Originally Posted by BrianL99

Bag phone? They came much later.

I had an RCC phone in my car, pre-cellular days ... '79-'80.

When CellOne started in Boston (office was in Waltham), I had a Cellular Phone installed in my car. It was an NEC Phone and everything other than the handset, was mounted in the trunk of my car. The "box" was about the size of 4 briefcases, stacked on top of one another. I think it was 1986-1987. The phone cost $1800, including installation. A princely sum in those days. The CellularOne operation was so small, the staff knew their customers by name.

The first "bag phone" I ever saw or used, was during the Weld-Cellucci campaign in 1990-1991. It looked like a huge pocket-book, with a shoulder strap. We had exactly TWO of them on the campaign. They were close to $3000 if I remember correctly.

Then came the Motorola StarTac and the world changed.

Argeo ‘Paul’ Cellucci......good man. RIP

[bilcon]

I have one fond memory when I was seven years old. WW11 was recently over. My friend's father took us to the local grocery store where there was a big line. After waiting for an hour he came out with 2 small cartons of butter. It was the first butter I had seen, since there was none available during WW11. You had Oleo Margarine. UHG! Mr. Graves, my friend's father gave me a carton to bring home to my parents. I can still remember how happy they were with me.

[Justputt]

Sitting around with friends, family, and neighbors when people actually took the time to talk and share stories. I wish I could remember all they tried to teach us. Oh, and 17 cent gas.

[Shipping up to Boston]

Originally Posted by Justputt

Sitting around with friends, family, and neighbors when people actually took the time to talk and share stories. I wish I could remember all they tried to teach us. Oh, and 17 cent gas.

17 cent gas....in today’s world, only to be found in Venezuela!

[Pairadocs]

Originally Posted by AMB444

Remember this?

- bread bags on feet before putting on your snow boots

-stealing beans, peas, carrots from gardens and drinking from the hose. Apples off of trees.
If we went home we'd get chores assigned

- going to your friend's church because you hung out at their house for days, and friends mom adding you to the house chore list

- "that rich kid" on the block had cable, Pong, Sesame Street, Quisp/Capn Crunch & Twinkies

- fear of the basement. Do the rapid dog paddle up the stairs and do NOT look back!

-getting "beaned" during dodge ball with that gigantic rubber ball

-calling radio station to recite "two all beef patties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles, onions all on a sesame seed bun" to get free Big Mac

What's your list?

Mowing the lawn or raking the leaves on Saturday hoping the job would be of sufficient quality of earn $.25 which would provide the $.15 Saturday afternoon children's price movie ticket AND two $.05 treats IF I could also find a couple pennies in my dresser drawer to pay the tax.

Making sand and mud pies with the neighborhood kids in all shapes and sizes, laying them all out on old boxes and boards to dry in the sun, and "running" a pretend "bakery" with cakes "decorated" with leaves, milkweed seeds, etc.

Hoping to get permission to go to the home of a neighborhood friend down the block to see one of the few COLORED TV shows .

Going to the farm land of friends outside town to pick morel mushrooms in the spring, cut them in half, soak in big 5 gallon bucks in salt water over night to get any "insects" out, and then having mom fry them in butter after breading in egg and cracker crumbs.

Riding our bikes to the foot of the river which lay at the end of the main retail street in our small, 28K town, watching the barge traffic, commercial fishermen (before the river was too toxic to provide fishermen with a living and the fresh fish markets disappeared along the river.

The local parades, Christmas, Veteran's Day, 4th of July, and especially the Halloween parade where ALL kids could meet at the local high school athletic field, were organized by age and types of costumes, and then march in the parade where there was a ribbon and a prize of some sort for virtually every one of the hundreds of us (donated by local businesses).

And most of all having what I NOW think of as so much freedom; I didn't back then as an only child of very strict parents !

Oh, and my dad, a local judge, allowing me to go to his office in the courthouse and learn to use his TYPEWRITER !

[Pairadocs]

Originally Posted by Redsmom

So things are better now that we can’t even define what a woman is? I’d go back to the innocence of the 50s in a heartbeat.

I think of things on TV programs, sexist things, racist things, dumb things, mocking things, something to "hit" everyone, and we all just laughed, did not take each word in a TV show as some personal assault or insult... we laughed, like it was no different than an live comedy show where the comedian targets every group in the audience from seniors to clergy to teens, people then did not sit there just waiting for an opportunity to jump up and be "insulted". NOW .... that's the name of the game !

[Pairadocs]

Originally Posted by BrianL99

Being "offended" is the catch-all word for the WOKE minority.

Oh so true. When we were young the phrase "words can never hurt me" (and of course, really cruel words like "four eyes" could) were often heard, and kids have always been teased, even bullied, but now, in our "enlightened" society, I think fewer kids just shake it off and much more bullying goes on. It's just too bad more people, adults included, don't make a personal choice to NOT pay attention to insults or real or perceived "slights". We have become VERY "thin skinned" as my dad used to call it. When you have to change your route to school or work so you don't have to pass by something that "offends" you, and schools have to have safe spaces for stressed students who are facing a test or have become upset by some world event, it makes me wonder, could we actually raise an effective military in WW III should we need to ? ?

[AMB444]

Originally Posted by Pairadocs

Oh so true. When we were young the phrase "words can never hurt me" (and of course, really cruel words like "four eyes" could) were often heard, and kids have always been teased, even bullied, but now, in our "enlightened" society, I think fewer kids just shake it off and much more bullying goes on. It's just too bad more people, adults included, don't make a personal choice to NOT pay attention to insults or real or perceived "slights". We have become VERY "thin skinned" as my dad used to call it. When you have to change your route to school or work so you don't have to pass by something that "offends" you, and schools have to have safe spaces for stressed students who are facing a test or have become upset by some world event, it makes me wonder, could we actually raise an effective military in WW III should we need to ? ?

Could not agree more. We're not teaching our kids coping skills anymore. It's a free for all emotional frenzy.

[Pairadocs]

Originally Posted by Keefelane66

Grew up in Central Connecticut (pop 50,000) 3 movie theaters, penny candy stores, every pharmacy had ice cream and soda fountains. I could roam all over town on Public Transit for 10 cents with transfers. Black and White antenna TV with 4 channels. Milk was delivered to your milk box along with butter and OJ. Everyone had a garden. Good Humor ice cream truck almost daily in summer and Root Beer floats at A&W. Sunday Blue laws…

Oh my gosh, thank you for more memories ! Our small town was just over half the population of yours, but I have all those memories, but with only 2 movie "houses". The pharmacy that had a soda fountain, root beer floats, green "rivers", the ice cream man in his truck, the blind man near the library who sold frozen treats, fresh popcorn in 5, 10 and 25 cent bags, FANTASTIC hot tamales from a steamer and were wrapped in real corn husks ! And the penny candy stores, Charley's and the other was "Schmidt's", I could spend an hour in there with a nickle trying to make a final decision ! Silly wax "lips" that could be chewed almost like gum when done "wearing them", or just a piece of double bubble gum. But then there were those little 1 cent peanut butter candies with a chocolate top, and the long thin strips of red licorice.. could make them last a long time... so many decisions ! Took so little to make kids happy back then ! Life savers, apples, fresh oranges and nuts in their shells in a Christmas stocking and we were over joyed.

[Pairadocs]

Originally Posted by Marmaduke

The English "Carry On" movies weren't politically correct, but funny. It was a period in history.
History shouldn't be erased.

He who ignores history is doomed to repeat it.... said a wise man once.

[Carla B]

Originally Posted by margaretmattson

I love it when people take things out of context. I had a wonderful childhood and responded that way.

I then read a post that said: no cell phones, no violence, no nudity, no foul language, no screwing on television.

I thought this was odd. It is not the late sixties and seventies that I remember. Hippies alone broke all the "no-nos" mentioned by the poster. I remember it as a time when people were pushing the limits not sitting pristine.

As far as the poster you are referring to, I'm pretty sure it's the 50's that he was recalling. There are, after all, still some of us "pre-1946'ers" living here. It's not all Baby Boomers.

I also recall the 50's socially being a relatively benign age. Seems to me things started going "south" in the 60's.

[HORNET]

No Cell Phones!

[BrianL99]

Originally Posted by Carla B

As far as the poster you are referring to, I'm pretty sure it's the 50's that he was recalling. There are, after all, still some of us "pre-1946'ers" living here. It's not all Baby Boomers.

I also recall the 50's socially being a relatively benign age. Seems to me things started going "south" in the 60's.

Oh yeah. First Rock & Roll infected the late 50's, next thing you know, we have the Summer of Love in '67. It was a great time to be an American.

[JMintzer]

Originally Posted by Shipping up to Boston

Did anyone mention pay phones?
Calling collect
Or the original Cellular One bag phone for your car
First handheld cell phone with the telescoping GI Joe antenna

Calling collect with a fake name so your parents would know it was time to pick you up?

I had the Cellular One cell phone mounted on the console between the front seats and the big power supply in the trunk. I think it was '91 or '92...

Little did I know it gave my wife the idea she could call me every night on my drive home "to chat"... That ended "post haste" once the first bill arrived...

[JMintzer]

Originally Posted by Carla B

As far as the poster you are referring to, I'm pretty sure it's the 50's that he was recalling. There are, after all, still some of us "pre-1946'ers" living here. It's not all Baby Boomers.

I also recall the 50's socially being a relatively benign age. Seems to me things started going "south" in the 60's.

Agreed... I'm a "later boomer", born in 57. So yes, I was still a kid in the late 60's, early 70's...

But the original boomers were well into their 20's by that time. Hardly "children"...