How old is grandma?

Reba

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This is not new but I thought it was kind of cute (and for me, it was nostalgic, sigh....):

HOW OLD IS GRANDMA?

(Stay with this -- the answer is at the end.)

One evening a grandson was talking to his grandmother about current events. The grandson asked his grandmother what she thought about the shootings at schools, the computer age, and just things in general.

The Grandma replied, "Well, let me think a minute, I was born before:

television,

penicillin,

polio shots,

frozen foods,

Xerox,

contact lenses,

Frisbees and

the pill.

There was no:

radar,

credit cards,

laser beams or

ball-point pens.

Man had not invented:

pantyhose,

air conditioners,

dishwashers,

clothes dryers,

and the clothes were hung out to dry in the fresh air and

man hadn't yet walked on the moon.


Your Grandfather and I got married first-and then lived together.

Every family had a father and a mother.

Until I was 25, I called every man older than me, 'Sir'- and after I turned 25, I still called policemen and every man with a title, 'Sir'.

We were before gay-rights, computer-dating, dual careers, daycare centers, and group therapy.

Our lives were governed by the Ten Commandments, good judgment, and common sense.

We were taught to know the difference between right and wrong and to stand up and take responsibility for our actions.

Serving your country was a privilege; living in this country was a bigger privilege.

We thought fast food was what people ate during Lent.

Having a meaningful relationship meant getting along with your cousins.

Draft dodgers were people who closed their front doors when the evening breeze started.

Time-sharing meant time the family spent together in the evenings and weekends-not purchasing condominiums.

We never heard of FM radios, tape decks, CDs, electric typewriters, yogurt, or guys wearing earrings.

We listened to the Big Bands, Jack Benny, and the President's speeches on our radios.

And I don't ever remember any kid blowing his brains out listening to Tommy Dorsey.

If you saw anything with 'Made in Japan' on it, it was junk.

The term 'making out' referred to how you did on your school exam.

Pizza Hut, McDonald's, and instant coffee were unheard of.

We had 5 &10-cent stores where you could actually buy things for 5 and 10 cents.

Ice-cream cones, phone calls, rides on a streetcar, and a Pepsi were all a nickel.

And if you didn't want to splurge, you could spend your nickel on enough stamps to mail 1 letter and 2 postcards.

You could buy a new Chevy Coupe for $600 but who could afford one?

Too bad, because gas was 11 cents a gallon.

In my day:

"grass" was mowed,

"coke" was a cold drink,

"pot" was something your mother cooked in and

"rock music" was your grandmother's lullaby.

"Aids" were helpers in the Principal's office,

" chip" meant a piece of wood,

"hardware" was found in a hardware store and

"software" wasn't even a word.


And we were the last generation to actually believe that a lady needed a husband to have a baby. No wonder people call us "old and confused" and say there is a generation gap... and how old do you think I am?


Read on to see -- pretty scary if you think about it and pretty sad at the same time.

This Woman would be only 58 years old!
(Not even old enough to retire and collect Social Security!)
 
Um, a few minor nitpicks here… A person who is 58 right now would have to have been born no earlier than June 12, 1946. The first television broadcast was made in 1926. The discovery of penicillin was first published in 1929. Contact lenses existed as early as the very late 19th century. Clarence Birdseye developed the processes for freezing food during the 1920’s. Willis Carrier developed the first air conditioner in 1906. There were operational RADAR facilities in Bawdsey, England in 1936. Grandma was 14 years old when oral contraceptives were patented, so if she’s even half the paragon of moral virtue that she claims to be, they were commercially available when she first became sexually active. The ball point pen was patented in 1938. Grandma was 13 years old when panty hose were invented, so they were available to her about the same time she was shopping for her first training bra. Josephine Cochran introduced the first dishwasher in 1893. Chester Carlson invented Xerography in 1937. I think you can see a pattern developing here. Either Grandma is full of crap, or she’s 158, not 58. :mrgreen:
 
Levonian said:
Um, a few minor nitpicks here…
I think that the point was most of those things were not in common public use until later.

For example:

The first television broadcast was made in 1926.
But how many homes had TV sets? And how many national programs were broadcast? TV really didn't become "public" until after WWII. Prior to that it was a novelty at the NY World's Fair (that's where my mom first saw a TV broadcast).

The discovery of penicillin was first published in 1929.
I'm not sure but I think the widespread use of penicillin was during WWII.

Contact lenses existed as early as the very late 19th century.
Again, I think the writer was referring to the "modern" version that Americans know.

Clarence Birdseye developed the processes for freezing food during the 1920’s.
But a home freezer with pre-frozen foods for the average family were not common until the 1950's.

Willis Carrier developed the first air conditioner in 1906.
But they were very rare in private homes. I remember it was a big deal to go the movie theater because it advertised "air-conditioned comfort" as a special feature (that was in the 1950s and 60s). We did have a window air unit in our house, and AC in our car during the 50s.

There were operational RADAR facilities in Bawdsey, England in 1936.
It wasn't installed on U.S. Navy ships until WWII.

Grandma was 14 years old when oral contraceptives were patented, so if she’s even half the paragon of moral virtue that she claims to be, they were commercially available when she first became sexually active.
However, they were not universally available until the 1960s. There were age restrictions, marital restrictions, and other legal/medical restrictions. I don't remember people really accepting the pill until the 60s.

The ball point pen was patented in 1938.
But not in common use. I learned how to cursive write in public school with a fountain pen! We actually used the built-in ink well in the desk to hold our bottles, and blotter paper. What a mess! That was about 1958.

Grandma was 13 years old when panty hose were invented, so they were available to her about the same time she was shopping for her first training bra.
Maybe, but I had to wear garter belts and stockings in high school. Ugh!

Josephine Cochran introduced the first dishwasher in 1893.
Yeah, I know. I was wondering about that one myself. But I figured the writer meant that most homes didn't have modern-type dishwashers in their homes until the 1950s.

Chester Carlson invented Xerography in 1937.
But the modern Xerox machine wasn't in common use until after WWII. Actually, it still wasn't all that commonly used. When I was in school, all copies were either mimeographed (ah, the sweet smell of that blue smudgy ink), or typed with a carbon paper (ugh, I hated using that). When Hubby and I were first in the Navy (early 70s), we used to crank off mimeograph copies.

I don't think the "Grandma" essay was supposed to be a scientific paper. I think the point of it was that so many things we take for granted now as common place, have not really been around in general use that long. That a person doesn't really have to be "ancient" in order to have lived without so many "modern" inventions and social changes.

I guess I relate to the "Grandma" because I am a grandma very close to that age. :)
 
Reba is nitpicking my nitpicks. :squint: I should have known better than to pick on a redhead... :mrgreen:
 
Levonian said:
Reba is nitpicking my nitpicks. :squint: I should have known better than to pick on a redhead... :mrgreen:
He, he, he.... :laugh2:
 
Reba said:
I don't think the "Grandma" essay was supposed to be a scientific paper. I think the point of it was that so many things we take for granted now as common place, have not really been around in general use that long. That a person doesn't really have to be "ancient" in order to have lived without so many "modern" inventions and social changes.

You’re right, of course. I was just making fun of Grandma’s less than perfect knowledge of the timeline of technological innovations. I’m only 43, and I can remember when:

Gas was 33 cents a gallon.

Having a color TV set was a BIG deal (and people were still convinced that they gave out radiation which would damage your eyes).

The minimum wage in California was $1.35/hr.

Calculators hadn’t been invented yet.

Michael Jackson was a little black kid.

Being a housewife was actually a fairly common occupation. (When’s the last time you actually met one)?

You couldn’t say ‘ass’ on television.


And my wife is only 3 years older than I am, and she can remember when:

A public school teacher could get away with locking a deaf child in a dark coat closet for four hours for mispronouncing a word. :(
 
Dang. Grandamothers are worth far more than their penchant for sending socks each year, huh?
God bless the old grandmothers, and I mean the OLD. They are too prim and proper to tell us anything.
And I am sure my grandmother would have appreciated this editing...she was Housemother to a fraternity till she reached 100.
Peace

Okayyyy, I was wrong, so what? She quit Housemother in her nineties.
She lived to be 102 and I cannot imagine that life. All I know is that it seems people act differently than they did long ago. That is about what I gathered from her.
Peace
 
Last edited:
Reba said:
I think that the point was most of those things were not in common public use until later....

But the modern Xerox machine wasn't in common use until after WWII. Actually, it still wasn't all that commonly used. When I was in school, all copies were either mimeographed (ah, the sweet smell of that blue smudgy ink), or typed with a carbon paper (ugh, I hated using that). When Hubby and I were first in the Navy (early 70s), we used to crank off mimeograph copies.

I guess I relate to the "Grandma" because I am a grandma very close to that age. :)

I remember carbon paper and mimeographs from MY HS days in late 70's. When I went into the Navy, Radio Shack and Xerox were the 'leaders' in PC technology. Remember the TRS-80 or the Commodore 64 that used TV for monitor?

My baby sister is Grandma now and she's only 43. I can't believe that her girls are already as tall as I am (5'9"). Time flies.
 
My grandma cant even remember my birthday - which is 12 days before hers - nor how old I am - and im 50 years younger.
 
Beowulf said:
Dang. Grandamothers are worth far more than their penchant for sending socks each year, huh?
Ack! I'm busted! I do give my grandsons socks every Christmas!
 
ITPjohn said:
... Remember the TRS-80 or the Commodore 64 that used TV for monitor?
You mean the "trash" 80 and green-screens? :) Yeah, at home I remember using TVs for monitors, and cassette tapes, not floppies. At work, we used to punch cards (excuse me, "enter data"), and then physically take the boxes to the "computer center" building to be transcribed onto giant tape reels. My word processor used a paper loop for "memory".
 
Good Ol' Days

Reba said:
You mean the "trash" 80 and green-screens? :) Yeah, at home I remember using TVs for monitors, and cassette tapes, not floppies. At work, we used to punch cards (excuse me, "enter data"), and then physically take the boxes to the "computer center" building to be transcribed onto giant tape reels. My word processor used a paper loop for "memory".

I was stationed at Navy HQ Europe from 80-82 and on a flag ship in Norfolk from 82-84. I remember using a punch card/verify machine and the big mag tapes. The flag ship 'mainframe' used paper tape and was a Univac (!!) from the early LBJ administration. I'm not giving away any national secrets b/c I'm sure the canoe club has updated since then. Were you a DP tech too?
 
Levonian said:
You’re right, of course. I was just making fun of Grandma’s less than perfect knowledge of the timeline of technological innovations.
Yeah, let's have a little mercy for Grandma. Her memory's not so good anymore. ;)

Having a color TV set was a BIG deal.
I didn't have a color TV in my home until I was married and a mom. I was about 27 years old.

Michael Jackson was a little black kid.
He, he, oh yeah! :laugh2:

Being a housewife was actually a fairly common occupation. (When’s the last time you actually met one)?
Actually, I personally do know several.

A public school teacher could get away with locking a deaf child in a dark coat closet for four hours for mispronouncing a word. :(
That is awful, and sadly used to be common practice. :(
 
ITPjohn said:
Were you a DP tech too?
No, I was a JO. On active duty, one of my tours was an aviation training command staff, and another was an all-services command, so I had exposure to various aspects of the military. However, for several years while I was in the Reserves, I cross-rated to RM because there were no JO billets. Then, I cross-rated back. My reserve billets were varied, including shipping convoys, communication center, and HQ staff. I volunteered for every extra assignment and school possible (such as PH and broadcaster) to increase my retirement points, and I took every possible correspondence course, for points. Ha, ha, I took courses for postal clerks, legalmen, electronics, draftsmen, etc. I finally retired as a JOC.

Hubby was career YN. He filled many billets as independent duty or various collateral duties, which included LN, DP, DK, PN, and even driver for the divers' boat (mine warfare).

DP has come a looooong way, heh? In fact, I think the rating has changed, right?
 
pinkster said:
My grandma cant even remember my birthday - which is 12 days before hers - nor how old I am - and im 50 years younger.

Guess what? my mom FORGETS how old I am! :ugh: I was testing her yesterday since she become "grandma" to my brother's new stepdaughter and she thought that I am 20 years old, but I'm 21 years old...Oh boy, she is getting old even though she is just 46 years old!!!

Sorry for off topic! :)
 
Reba - DP has come a looooong way, heh? In fact, I think the rating has changed, right?

I think that it's now called IT - Information Technology Technician, or something like that. First is was MA (machine accountant taken from DK), then DP/DS (data processing for operations and data systems tech for repairs), now IT. I really haven't kept up with it over the last 20 years and none of my nieces or nephews have joined the military. They all wanted to go to college instead. WHEW!

I'll try to go through my e-mails and find the one that compared 1975 to 1995. As long as you don't choke on your morning coffee after reading it. :D
 
Thirty Years Makes a Difference

ITPjohn - I'll try to go through my e-mails and find the one that compared 1975 to 1995. As long as you don't choke on your morning coffee after reading it. ;)

I found it - was a little off on the dates. I can't believe how long I've saved it and the title says it all.
PS: Careful with the morning coffee. :D

Thirty years does make a difference...

1972: Long hair
2002: Longing for hair

1972: KEG
2002: EKG

1972: Acid rock
2002: Acid reflux

1972: Moving to California because it's cool
2002: Moving to California because it's warm

1972: Growing pot
2002: Growing pot belly (WHO?? :P)

1972: Trying to look like Marlon Brando or Liz Taylor
2002: Trying NOT to look like Marlon Brando or Liz Taylor

1972: Seeds and stems
2002: Roughage

1972: Hoping for a BMW
2002: Hoping for a BM

1972: Going to a new, hip joint
2002: Receiving a new hip joint

1972: Rolling Stones
2002: Kidney Stones

1972: Being called into the principal's office
2002: Calling the principal's office

1972: Screw the system
2002: Upgrade the system

1972: Disco
2002: Costco

1972: Parents begging you to get your hair cut
2002: Children begging you to get their heads shaved

1972: Passing the drivers' test
2002: Passing the vision test

1972: Whatever
2002: Depends
 
ITPjohn said:
ITPjohn - I'll try to go through my e-mails and find the one that compared 1975 to 1995. As long as you don't choke on your morning coffee after reading it. ;)

I found it - was a little off on the dates. I can't believe how long I've saved it and the title says it all.
PS: Careful with the morning coffee. :D

Thirty years does make a difference...
Ha, ha, those are good ones! :laugh2:
 
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