I'm old enough to remember when ...

Damn Yankee said:
Little flags in peoples front windows with a star in the middle showing they had someone in the military. Two colors I think gold and red. One meant they were alive and the other they had been killed.
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The stars were blue for living service men and gold for those who had died. One star for each relative in the service. "Gold Star Mothers" were greatly honored.

The red was the border of the flag.

My grandmother displayed a flag with four blue stars. Fortunately none of her sons died, though the one who served in the Aleutians later committed suicide.
 
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The ragman would come up the street once a month in his horse drawn cart, yelling " rags, any old rags ". my mother sold him my fathers army air corp uniform from wII. Now that was a good fight.
 
Growing up in the 40's and 50's I remember most of the things posted here. Whenever I mention them to young people they don't have a clue what I'm talking about.

The younger generation often says it's impossible for their generation to understand my generation. "You grew up in a different world," they say. "Today we have television, computers, jet planes, space travel…"

My reply is, you're right. We didn't have those things when we were young; so we invented them! What are you doing for the next generation?
 
I remember going to a candy store (Soda fountain and malt shop) with a quarter and walking out with a small bag overflowing with candy. Gas was 25 cents a gallon when I cut yards for money with my Dad's mower. Taking my Dad's 12Gg shotgun to school for "Show and Tell". Going Trick or Treating on Halloween and having people invite you in their house for some fresh homemade popcorn balls and lemonade. They would take pictures of everyone who came to their door. I got my first 20g shotgun at age 13. Got my first 22LR Sears bolt action rifle the same year. I grew up in the best time to be a kid in the USA!!! I miss those days!!!
 
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You really appreciate this....

model70hunter said:
I remember when business' 1st started putting in AC. They had a picture of a Penquin wearing a stocking hat prominently displayed on the door or window. It was a treat on Saturdays to go in one while shopping.
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You really appreciated this if you lived in the South. Early on the only places with A/C were movie theaters and big department stores. When 'convenience stores' popped up there was nothing like opening that door on a summer day with the sign "Come on in, it's KOOL inside" (cigarettes). In the grocery store where I worked, dogs would hang out just outside the door to get the cool air when the door opened.

BTW Who remembers 'Funeral Parlor Fans' that consisted of a card with a religious picture on it with a big popsicle stick for a handle?
 
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Perhaps I am at 82, older than most here, I am a depression era kid and remember:

Battery radios....long before the REA made electricity available on the farm. Really got chastised for going to sleep on the floor listening to the Grand Ole Opry and running the battery down...no such thing as rechargeable.

Kerosene lamps...we really moved up when we got an Alladin Lamp!

Drawing water from the well...another big deal when we got a pump, hand operated and had to be primed to get it started.

Going to the outdoor movie in the mule and wagon.

Great Big Sear & Roebuck catalogs.....had other uses also.

I thought everything was made and sold by Spiegel.

Worked in grocery store for $0.11, yep eleven cents per hour....was really making $$$ when I moved to the meat cutting department and made $0.16.

Could ride from home all the way to the other end of the bus line for $0.05 to go fishing in the local resevoirs.

Getting up at 05:30 to go to work on Sat in the grocery store and be there until at least 6 PM or later....no overtime there.

Walking 2 miles across the woods to get to a friend's house to play and ride his bicycle...I did not have one.

Coming home on Sunday afternoon to find a note on the table saying, "We stopped by to visit, watered the stock, let the cat out and in, had a glass of ice tea, hope to see you soon!

Getting up at 02:00 to take out a barn of tobacco, feeding, watering, milking, eating breakfast and then in the field to prime another barn of tobacco.

Helping our neighbors getting their tobacco done....and getting help in return.

The thrill of actually getting a Saturday off and going fishing. Ever turned a tobacco worm inside out and used it for bream bait?

Yes, indeed life was much different.
 
moe smith said:
....the 60's seemed like a lifetime.



..... when fountain pens stained my shirt pocket.



......script was cursive



......you had to be accompanied by a parent or guardian to see Rosemary's Baby.



.....10 cents would get you a subway ride from Sheepshead Bay in Brooklyn to Manhattan.



......a slice and a coke was .25 cents.



......someone cleaned your windshield, for free.



.....people said thank you.



......I knew where the nearest fallout shelter was.



.....you didn't consider anyone a hyphenated American.



......there really were seven words you couldn't say on television.



.....cops would bring you home to your parents.



......the belt.



.......church every Sunday.



.........being an altar boy getting caught eating unconsecrated hosts and drinking altar wine in the sacristy.



.........dinner every night with my parents and siblings.



........the guy that would drive through the neighborhood sharpening knives.
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Great post - brought back so many memories!😃


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