[senior citizen]

........

[mherzberg]

Yep, and blue jeans that looked like they were painted on; rotary telephones that you could not buy or own - had to rent them from the phone company; 3 TV stations; Sky King; when someone referred to a 45 adaptor they weren't talking about a hand gun; and, the joy of an FM radio in your car so you didn't loose signal when crossing a bridge!!

[gomoho]

Those were the days my friend, we thought they'ld never end!

[Monkei]

and everyone wore what we call flood pants now because they were above your ankles

[CaptJohn]

Originally Posted by gomoho

Those were the days my friend, we thought they'ld never end!

Sadly, they ended!

I did have a 57 Chevy but is wasn't my first car. I bought it for $20 barely running, even though it was in rough shape. Sold it when I realized how much I was going to have to put into it to keep it running. At least the cost of gas wasn't the problem!. Gas wars (remember those?) brought the price down to 19 cents per gallon.

[mherzberg]

Working for .50 per hour but a dollar in the gas tank on Friday night was good for almost the whole weekend! Always saved those gas stamps to fill up a book and get a free tank of gas as well! Used to "cruise" around Dog 'n Suds every weekend showing off the car (which wasn't all that impressive!).

[buggyone]

Originally Posted by CaptJohn

Sadly, they ended!

I did have a 57 Chevy but is wasn't my first car. I bought it for $20 barely running, even though it was in rough shape. Sold it when I realized how much I was going to have to put into it to keep it running. At least the cost of gas wasn't the problem!. Gas wars (remember those?) brought the price down to 19 cents per gallon.

Ah yes, but what kind of money did you earn back then? The above poster said they earned 50 cents per hour but dollar worth of gas kept them cruising all weekend. Earn $12 per hour now and that same 2 hours of work will get you about 7 gallons or about 150 miles of cruising. Similar.

Those were the days? I do not think so. Much better now. Women are now equal to men, minorities are welcomed everywhere, and we have The Villages!

[ugotme]

I think we had several "Archies and Ediths" including my own parents! LOL

We had a 56 Chevy. Loved the gas filler behind the drivers side rear taillight.

[jblum315]

I had a 57 Chevy Impala convertible. My father had wanted to buy me a Corvette, but I told him it just wasn't practical.

[ugotme]

Originally Posted by jblum315

I had a 57 Chevy Impala convertible. My father had wanted to buy me a Corvette, but I told him it just wasn't practical.

LOL - WHAT?

Practical Shmactical - give me that vette !!!!

[CaptJohn]

Originally Posted by buggyone

Those were the days? I do not think so. Much better now. Women are now equal to men, minorities are welcomed everywhere, and we have The Villages!

Well, some things are better (we have fun, fancy gadgets) but what about today:
Rampant crime.
Prisons overcrowded.
Millions of illegal aliens sapping up our tax money.
Governments all over the world sapping up our tax money.
Infrastructure (roads and bridges) falling apart and we can't afford to fix them.
Illegal and legal drugs are big problems.
Many, many children born of unwed parents.
Half of us are divorced.
Wholesale terrorism didn't exist in this country until recently (yes, there were a few pockets of it before for some).
Cancer is rampant.
HIV (Aids) didn't exist then to kill people. Penicillin used to fix those problems.
Everyone who wanted to work could find a job. (my first one was 65 cents an hour)
Everyone, including little children and 90 year olds, must be frisked and assumed to be criminal to get on an airplane now.
Crazy people who were once locked up are now running the streets killing others in mass numbers.
Congress worked for the citizens instead of themselves.
Huge traffic jams are every day and everywhere.

Can't leave your garage door up in THE VILLAGES or someone will walk into your house and steal your stuff and car (see recent thread on subject).
(Our whole town of Gulf Breeze, FL was unlocked and had very few problems.)
My father helped a black employee of his to start his own business and he in return taught me the printing business. In our family, everyone we dealt with was treated fairly and well. My Mother was just as important in the family business as my father (and Mother was a lot smarter!).

Those are just off the top of my head (which is starting to hurt!). Anybody who cares to add to the list is welcome.
These are just the facts I'm pointing out in answer to the other post. It's all a matter of opinion and how individuals see things differently. Don't try reading my intent into it and make it something it's not. I happen to enjoy and have fun with ironies.

[gomoho]

You forgot about kids playing outside till the street lights went on and our parents didn't have to worry about someone snatching us. Childhood obesity was rare back then.

[Golfingnut]

I agree with buggy. Some seem to only remember the good things from the dark days of the time best forgotten. We now have major improvements in medicine and civil rights. If those two alone don't out weigh the good ole days for some, they certainly do for minorities, gays and women.

[buggyone]

Originally Posted by Golfingnut

I agree with buggy. Some seem to only remember the good things from the dark days of the time best forgotten. We now have major improvements in medicine and civil rights. If those two alone don't out weigh the good ole days for some, they certainly do for minorities, gays and women.

Exactly right.

Think back 65 years when we were toddlers. If someone had cancer, heart valve problem, or heart blockage due to plaque build up, they were probably going to die. Cancer survival rates are much better now, heart valve replacements and heart bypasses are quite common now.

There were separate water fountains and public bathrooms all over the South for blacks, women who worked were generally typists and clerks, and gays were never discussed.

Lots of problems now but much better in so many ways - and I am living in The Villages and not in Minnesota where I grew up!

[gomoho]

BUT - what is it like living longer in a world full of hate mongers, a crumbling economy and moral decay? Sure there have been tremendous advances, but they don't compare to years ago when folks and churches took care of each other - not the government. I agree the strides made for minorities are wonderful, but could they have not happened while we still "lover our neighbor"?

Let's not diminish the value of the "good old days" they got us where we are now. Hmmmm.