Age and knowing certain things...

M

Maximumbob54

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Grabbed a to go breakfast this morning and the waitress mentioned one of the younger girls asked what she was singing and when she told her it's an Elvis song the girl had no idea who she was talking about. It struck me as funny at first but it got me thinking. How long does something stay culturally relevant before it shouldn't be shocking to no longer be common knowledge? After all, it's not like many if any non specific stations still play Elvis songs, you probably have to go to cable channels that do older movies to find him, and he's been gone for close to fifty years now.

Is it just the opposite of not recognizing current events like I had to recently look up what a Jojo Siwa is and why the name was being mentioned so much?
 
I run into the issue all the time of the young not knowing. I no longer tell my stories as they don't care. It's a time that means nothing to them, only to me.
They live "in the now"........like my rescue dogs. Just as I did when I was young. And, now as my memory of yesterday doesn't exist and I recall everything
from 50 years ago. Most of you older guys know exactly of what I write.

Gawd, what a life I've had. A life you only read about. And no one cares.
 
FOG2 said:
It's the case with me as well. I played in Rock bands and later owned and operated a 44' Sport Fishing yacht. So many stories in both endeavors.

But no one cares....... Well I care.
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Funny you would write this. I worked on Tuna Boats in San Diego Harbor doing repair and piloted rich people schooners. On T.V and in a few movies (both, very little), know people in the biz still, George Harrison used to come to the hood to visit Ravi Shankar. I'm looking at the Shankar house as I write.:cool:
No one cares to listen to the stories.....my life has been incredible. And don't get me started about vintage Porsches in my life.........I won't STFU !!!!!
 
As a working engineer, I kept a slide rule in a shadow box on my cube wall.
I had a sign on the box which said, "In case of computer failure, break glass."

Most of the engineers had never seen one in person and were interested.
I did have one young fella who asked, "What is that?".
I told him it was a slide rule.
Blank look. "What's it for?"
Sigh.
 
knarfeng said:
As a working engineer, I kept a slide rule in a shadow box on my cube wall.
I had a sign on the box which said, "In case of computer failure, break glass."

Most of the engineers had never seen one in person and were interested.
I did have one young fella who asked, "What is that?".
I told him it was a slide rule.
Blank look. "What's it for?"
Sigh.
Click to expand...

You should tell them that is the thing which sent astronauts to the Moon. 😃
 
I remember hand nailing tar paper & shingles, before there was hammer tackers & nail guns. When I tell these young roofer/siders that, they look at me like I have three heads.
 
I had to apply for one of those loyalty cards to get the discount at the grocery store. The clerk asked for my phone number and I said, "BR 549." He paused and asked for the rest of it. I said, "That's all, it's a rural phone service." The customer behind me in line found the exchange rather entertaining.
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JTR357 said:
I remember hand nailing tar paper & shingles, before there was hammer tackers & nail guns. When I tell these young roofer/siders that, they look at me like I have three heads.
Click to expand...

That’s how the crew I worked with a decade ago did it. Bill is a purist. :thumbsup: They still do it that way as far as I know. He takes a craftsmanship approach.
 
Maximumbob54 said:
Grabbed a to go breakfast this morning and the waitress mentioned one of the younger girls asked what she was singing and when she told her it's an Elvis song the girl had no idea who she was talking about. It struck me as funny at first but it got me thinking. How long does something stay culturally relevant before it shouldn't be shocking to no longer be common knowledge? After all, it's not like many if any non specific stations still play Elvis songs, you probably have to go to cable channels that do older movies to find him, and he's been gone for close to fifty years now.

Is it just the opposite of not recognizing current events like I had to recently look up what a Jojo Siwa is and why the name was being mentioned so much?
Click to expand...
My condolences for your loss of the five minutes it took to find out what a Jojo Siwa is. Thats one of the things that inspired the term "blissfully ignorant" because everyone who has discovered this information wishes they hadn't.
 
"To the owner of the tan Ford sedan, you left your lights on in the parking lot"

Think of how often you used to hear that over the PA system in the store, and try to think of the last time you heard it.

Not quite the same thing, but just something that occurred to me recently.
 
I was so fortunate to have been born in the mid '60's and to have seen the best of the late 20th century.
Now as the planet approaches 9 billion souls it seems that everything is just so much harder, less forgiving and more complicated.
I shudder to think what's coming........ 🫣
 
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