Stormy Days give Time to Ponder

[Stacy E. Apelt - Bladesmith]

A wet day ,like this one, makes one think back.

Remember when:
Nothing sexual was meant when a person was called "Queer"?
Or when you and your buddies felt "Gay" on a summer morning?
Or when going steady and getting serious meant you might kiss a lot....and maybe brush our hand across her breast ( which was still inside her sweater!), if you had been going out for a long time....and it was really serious?
Hooking up ,was what paratroopers did before a jump?
Grass was mowed and weed was pulled?
Kids actually obeyed their parents..never talked back to adults....did chores....were glad to get $1 a week allowance ,.....and went to bed at 9 or 10PM?
On Saturday,you left the house at 8AM and came home at 8PM and all your folks said is, "Did you have a nice day, honey?"....because they trusted you?
You asked your parents if it was OK to go somewhere before you went?.....because you respected them?
When the only math aid a student (or adult) could use was counting on his fingers? (advanced math required removing shoes)
When a salesgirl (they were all women then) could figure the change in her head?
When you didn't have to feel it necessary to use words like sales person, for fear of offending someone?
When manners were taught, and using them was second nature?
When ,if a person had to have a private conversation with another person, he/she said, "Excuse me, I'll be right back." And they moved away so their conversation didn't disturb others?
When drivers licenses didn't come with keys...and cars came with responsabilities....which you paid yourself?

OK, Enough....you get the picture.

What do you remember as the things that you really miss in the old days. Not just things that are nostalgic, but things that really made life nicer.
For some of the forumites, it will be "When Tinky-Winky wasn't gay"

Stacy

 

[RUJOCO]

When women you drove behind didn't have cell phones connected to their heads.....driving 20 miles per hour. It seems cell phones restrict achieving the speed limit.

When you knew all your neighbors by name and actually talked to them. My neighbors just nod and and it seems they can't get in their cars or house fast enough. Maybe I'm too scary or it might be the industrial sounding noises comming from my garage.

Great ponderings Stacy and so true.

 

[fitzo]

... When you knew all your neighbors by name and actually talked to them. ....

How about, "When you knew all your neighbors by name because they actually spoke the same language as the natives so you could talk to them?"

 

[SteelSlaver]

When men worked and the lady of the house took care of the kids. In a day before $ was more important than family and friends.

 

[RUJOCO]

How about, "When you knew all your neighbors by name because they actually spoke the same language as the natives so you could talk to them?"

Exactly what I was thinking Mike....It's like you can see next door.
I didn't want to be the one to say it. Thanks. I'm sure they're very nice people.

 

[indian george]

How about, "When you knew all your neighbors by name because they actually spoke the same language as the natives so you could talk to them?"

Was that Cherokee or Apache language????

 

[fitzo]

....I'm sure they're very nice people.

Actually, most of the local immigrant folks do seem to be pretty good people. I just get frustrated at the language barrier, and my brain seems too old to absorb a new language despite my efforts. Most (though not all) seem to make some effort to learn English. Our immediate neighbors are very kind to us despite our inability to communicate other than with maybe 100 words and gestures. I sure do like it, though, when there's a knock at the door and there's a plate of food or a bag of peaches held out to us simply because they like us. Nanc bakes cookies for them periodically to reciprocate.
I noticed the other day that even though the two little boys speak to their parents in Spanish, they talk to each other in English. First generation Americans, this is their home country.
I think there's always some resentment when there's a major influx of a new immigrant population, but it passes in a generation as the language barrier is overcome. I can't complain too loud, as my mother's parents came over from Slovenia and I grew up with the adults speaking a strange language over my head. Speaking the words I learned to emulate Grampa always seemed to end with a bar of soap in my mouth.

 

[RUJOCO]

Although we've been inundated by Mexicans and Brazilians workers on our construction sites, I have met a couple whom I've developed a respect for through their work ethic and desire to co-operate to complete a project. For the most part though I get the distinct feeling I'm getting the finger when I turn around from talking to most of the others.

I'll stop here. I can see Stacy's thread heading down an unintended path.

 

[fitzo]

There are definitely cultural differences that breed resentments, I agree. I struggle with the same, trying to be fair where fair is due. There is much to dislike, like the gangs. It's a learning experience, for sure.

Returning Stacy's thread:
Remember when you'd chase the Good Humor man for two blocks with your hard-earned nickle and Mom didn't have to worry about whether he was a perv?

 

[mykulmorris]

Remember when you could get a gallon of gas for a quarter and buy a piece of candy with the change??? I do.

 

[RUJOCO]

When butts were only 28 cents per pack.....a distant dream.
" " I could fill up my bike with high test for a buck.
" " You could hitch hike anywhere and actually get a ride right away. And.... without worrying about ax murderers and peepee molesters.
" " You knew every cop on the force by first name.

 

[fitzo]

Taking your shoes off at the door of the school gym so you wouldn't scratch the floor at the Saturday night "sock hops".... and having chaperones monitor everyone to make sure they could have a hand's space between you and your partner on the slow dances.
Then invariably having some little weasel mix all the shoes into a big pile so you had to search through 'em all to find yours. I bet IG did that.

 

[RUJOCO]

LOL!
I forgot about the sock hops.....who you callin a weasel?!!!
I did get caught once and only once. The cop station was right next door, my neck still hurts.

Good thread...I've been thinking since last night. Kinda stumbling down memory lane. A great time to grow up in.

 

[steelshaper]

Well I cant remember sock hops or the 17 cent gass my dad has told me about but even in my short time I have seen prices shooting up fast. Most of my "remember when" memories are very locally oriented. Like when there were factory jobs up the wahzzoo. Back before they tore down the cement plant in the bay and replaced it with a few hundred multi million dollar homes and a little private town with private stores and private golf clubs. Before all the jobs were low paying seosonal service jobs that are filled by seasonal imigrant workers. Its hard to go from $16 per hour with benifits to $7. without. Especially with the cost of living shooting up and property values going up.

On the other hand I know some people who when they were kids were taken out of their homes and forced to go to Catholic schools. Forced to speek English instead of their native language.

Sorry I will stop now.

How about tall glass bottles of pop, when all pop was in glass bottles. I sure would like a tall cold GLASS bottle of Mountain Dew or Faygo Moon Shine ( its now called Moon Mist)

 

[koyote]

I've always lived near immigrants or in immigrant neighborhoods when I can. The family values, caring for people instead of $$$ first, politeness and general ethical level are outstanding in MOST of the immigrant cultures.

When Leif was first born we lived in an area with a lot of paki, afghan, and el salvadoran immigrants. (My coworkers thought we were crazy to live there)- and let me tell you, we could go for sunday brunch at the el salvadoran diner and we'd get to eat together while all the old ladies took turns playing with leif and taking him back to the kitchen to feed him treats. amazing. and something that would scare Jessica's family spitless.

The afghan butcher shop treated you like family after 2 visits.

Etc. Etc.

The naighbors were wonderful. And it's worth trying to learn a bit of their languages- they appreciate it, you get a little mind stretching, and it helps them learn english.

 

[fitzo]

......How about tall glass bottles of pop, when all pop was in glass bottles. I sure would like a tall cold GLASS bottle of Mountain Dew or Faygo Moon Shine ( its now called Moon Mist)

Will, thanks for that! What immediately came to mind was something I hadn't thought of in many, many years.... there used to be this chocolate flavored drink in the soda machines called "Kayo". Man, I used to love that stuff as a kid! IIRC, the bottle had a logo face molded into the glass.

...............................................................
Christof, I'm curious whether you owned your own home in these immigrant neighborhoods, and whether you had to pay real estate taxes? There are some issues with that which can be somewhat disconcerting and costly; especially so when I've been in this home 28 years now and seen the sometimes less than desirable changes that have occurred.
I'll give you a single "for instance"....... it is legal locally for extended families to live together in a single family residence. Thus, we have ended up with many homes housing three related families and frequently 10-12 school age kids. The people buying these homes paid higher prices because with several incomes they could qualify during the scams the lenders ran our economy into the ground with. This raised the average selling price of homes, which in turn jacked up everyone's valuation, increasing taxes. Add in the burgeoning addition of all those children per household on the school system, and taxes get jacked up even more to accomodate them. Especially in a school district where 90% of the families qualify for "no fee" education and free lunches.
Along comes the ballooning interest rate crunch on these "cheap" variable rate mortgages, and entire houses of people simply disappear overnight in a rental truck. They shuck their obligation, the house stays empty, but my taxes go even higher because those residences aren't paying taxes anymore. Plus, taxes never go down once the collecting body gets used to that money.
So, in coming years, I live in one of the lowest income communities in my county which 'curiously" has the highest real estate tax rate. Living on a fixed income, I actually have to worry whether in coming years I'll be forced to leave my home because my taxes are more than my house payment used to be.
So, while I try my darnedest to be understanding and tolerant of the changes, it ain't always as easy as just getting along well with good neighbors.

 

[koyote]

Fitz- no, this is all rentals. I can see the issues with the real estate taxes. Which isn't to say anything against most of the immigrants- they are *mostly* doing the best they can.

The tax system is rigged anyhow- I'd much prefer a flat income tax for federal and sales tax ONLY for state and local. Be more honest, anyway

 

[fitzo]

.. Which isn't to say anything against most of the immigrants- they are *mostly* doing the best they can.

I can't disagree with that assessment at all, Christof. 99% of all the folks immigrating are simply trying to do the same as you and me....live a decent, safe life founded on good values that makes a better future for the children.
I try to always remember that when something gets on my nerves. Like I said earlier, I was raised around a generation of immigrants who found a better life here, too.

 

[koyote]

I'm multi-generational Navy, and I sometimes think that I grew up with a broader view of immigration. In fact, thanks to you and our OP, I'll get back onto the thread-

I *DO* miss the days when meeting an immigrant was reason for extra politeness, an extra effort to make friends in the neighborhood. Growing up, half the immigrant families I knew involved escaping- from the east germans, the PRK, vietnam, el slavador, Idi Amin. It meant something, to those of us born here and to the immigrants- a land of opportunity.

 

[fitzo]

.....I *DO* miss the days when meeting an immigrant was reason for extra politeness........

I spent my entire work career in a highly multi-ethnic environment, and it was a great experience. My first boss after college was Taiwanese. The guy who next hired this long-haired kid was a 60's black radical who the company had transferred up here after he'd been arrested three times in demonstrations in NC. (I sure liked Albert!) Along the way I worked for a Lebanese-Armenian, an Egyptian, another Taiwanese guy, a Greek, a Korean, an Indian, and two Canadians. Thirty one years were spent daily with people from all over the globe, all working together where the common ground was science and ethnicity was never given a thought. I count that exposure as a blessing, for I learned much about peoples you can't pick up in books. And I learned that the similarities were always greater than the differences.

There's a saying I can't dredge up out of the fog readily, but it goes something like, "It's hard to dislike a man because of his ethnicity after you get to know him personally."

Edited to add: all that still doesn't stop me from making occasional wiseass comments that sound racist but aren't intended that way. Slowly, I continue to learn to stop that crap....