Checking out at the store, the young cashier suggested to me the other day, that I should bring my own grocery bags because plastic bags weren't good for the environment.
I apologized and explained, "We didn't have this green thing back in my earlier days."
The clerk responded, "That's our problem today. Your generation did not care enough to save our environment for future generations."
She was right -- our generation didn't have the green thing in its day.
Back then, we returned milk bottles, soda bottles and beer bottles to the store. The store sent them back to the plant to be washed and sterilized and refilled, so it could use the same bottles over and over. So they really were recycled. But we didn't have the green thing back in our day.
Grocery stores bagged our groceries in brown paper bags, that we reused for numerous things, most memorable besides household garbage bags, was the use of brown paper bags as book covers for our school books. This was to ensure that public property, (the books provided for our use by the school) was not defaced by our scribblings. Then we were able to personalize our books. But too bad we didn't do the green thing back then.
We walked up stairs, because we didn't have an escalator in every store and office building. We walked to the grocery store and didn't climb into a 300-horsepower machine every time we had to go two blocks. But she was right. We didn't have the green thing in our day.
Back then, we washed the baby's diapers because we didn't have the throw-away kind. We dried clothes on a line, not in an energy gobbling machine burning up 220 volts -- wind and solar power really did dry our clothes back in our early days. Kids got hand-me-down clothes from their brothers or sisters, not always brand-new clothing. But that young lady is right; we didn't have the green thing back in our day.
Back then, we had one TV, or radio, in the house -- not a TV in every room. And the TV had a small screen the size of a handkerchief (remember them?), not a screen the size of the state of Montana . In the kitchen, we blended and stirred by hand because we didn't have electric machines to do everything for us. When we packaged a fragile item to send in the mail, we used wadded up old newspapers to cushion it, not Styrofoam or plastic bubble wrap. Back then, we didn't fire up an engine and burn gasoline just to cut the lawn. We used a push mower that ran on human power. We exercised by working so we didn't need to go to a health club to run on treadmills that operate on electricity. But she's right; we didn't have the green thing back then.
We drank from a fountain when we were thirsty instead of using a cup or a plastic bottle every time we had a drink of water. We refilled writing pens with ink instead of buying a new pen, and we replaced the razor blades in a razor instead of throwing away the whole razor just because the blade got dull. But we didn't have the green thing back then.
Back then, people took the streetcar or a bus and kids rode their bikes to school or walked instead of turning their moms into a 24-hour taxi service. We had one electrical outlet in a room, not an entire bank of sockets to power a dozen appliances. And we didn't need a computerized gadget to receive a signal beamed from satellites 2,000 miles out in space in order to find the nearest burger joint.
But isn't it sad the current generation laments how wasteful we older folks were just because we didn't have the green thing back then?
Please forward this on to another selfish older person who needs a lesson in conservation from a smart ass young person.
>>> We don't like being older in the first place, so it doesn't take much to piss us off.
I almost edited out that last, snarky line, since the tone doesn't seem to fit with the rest of the piece, rant though it may be. And I agree that "back then" seems to cover a lot of ground. According to my mother, they stopped getting milk deliveries in the early '60s, but she had a diaper service for me in the mid '60s. And Coke bottles - glass bottles in general - didn't go out of fashion till fairly recently. Yes, the piece is a bit hap hazard with regard to time periods, but the overall effect is spot on IMO. I especially liked the final jab about GPS.
We never had milk delivered after the 1940s. Something to do with pasteurization, I believe, although my memory is hazy. But we never had television until the 1950s. (Actually the late 1960s for me personally.)
Hmmmmm.... Milk delivered, early 1960's. TV, late 1950's (one channel). Candles for when the power went out,--I kept them handy into the 1980's, but hardly used them after the 1960's. Can't remember when soda changed from bottles to cans, but it seems it must have been around 1970. Diaper service, mid 1980's. That's all for now, gotta bathe and then get some work done. Continuing education, mostly.
Howard would still be firstmostlike in our hearts!
Another gorgeous cool August day--it's 67ยบ in my living room as I type. Beginning to hope this isn't indicative of a colder than normal winter in the pipeline. . . .
Happy to report that my eyeglasses took about ten minutes to fix and there was no charge!
Spent the day with VT*Grand and we had a blast! After breakfast we painted, danced, read books, went for a bike ride (she is learning to ride a two wheeler), went into the forest and collected sticks and pinecones, leaves and other goodies, came home and built a fairy house, then went to the Shelburne Museum so she could ride the Carousel. :-) A perfect time together!! ♥
Dean is first.
ReplyDeleteFrom the inbox:
ReplyDeleteChecking out at the store, the young cashier suggested to me the other day, that I should bring my own grocery bags because plastic bags weren't good for the environment.
I apologized and explained, "We didn't have this green thing back in my earlier days."
The clerk responded, "That's our problem today. Your generation did not care enough to save our environment for future generations."
She was right -- our generation didn't have the green thing in its day.
Back then, we returned milk bottles, soda bottles and beer bottles to the store. The store sent them back to the plant to be washed and sterilized and refilled, so it could use the same bottles over and over. So they really were recycled. But we didn't have the green thing back in our day.
Grocery stores bagged our groceries in brown paper bags, that we reused for numerous things, most memorable besides household garbage bags, was the use of brown paper bags as book covers for our school books. This was to ensure that public property, (the books provided for our use by the school) was not defaced by our scribblings. Then we were able to personalize our books. But too bad we didn't do the green thing back then.
We walked up stairs, because we didn't have an escalator in every store and office building. We walked to the grocery store and didn't climb into a 300-horsepower machine every time we had to go two blocks. But she was right. We didn't have the green thing in our day.
Back then, we washed the baby's diapers because we didn't have the throw-away kind. We dried clothes on a line, not in an energy gobbling machine burning up 220 volts -- wind and solar power really did dry our clothes back in our early days. Kids got hand-me-down clothes from their brothers or sisters, not always brand-new clothing. But that young lady is right; we didn't have the green thing back in our day.
Back then, we had one TV, or radio, in the house -- not a TV in every room. And the TV had a small screen the size of a handkerchief (remember them?), not a screen the size of the state of Montana . In the kitchen, we blended and stirred by hand because we didn't have electric machines to do everything for us. When we packaged a fragile item to send in the mail, we used wadded up old newspapers to cushion it, not Styrofoam or plastic bubble wrap. Back then, we didn't fire up an engine and burn gasoline just to cut the lawn. We used a push mower that ran on human power. We exercised by working so we didn't need to go to a health club to run on treadmills that operate on electricity. But she's right; we didn't have the green thing back then.
We drank from a fountain when we were thirsty instead of using a cup or a plastic bottle every time we had a drink of water. We refilled writing pens with ink instead of buying a new pen, and we replaced the razor blades in a razor instead of throwing away the whole razor just because the blade got dull. But we didn't have the green thing back then.
Back then, people took the streetcar or a bus and kids rode their bikes to school or walked instead of turning their moms into a 24-hour taxi service. We had one electrical outlet in a room, not an entire bank of sockets to power a dozen appliances. And we didn't need a computerized gadget to receive a signal beamed from satellites 2,000 miles out in space in order to find the nearest burger joint.
But isn't it sad the current generation laments how wasteful we older folks were just because we didn't have the green thing back then?
Please forward this on to another selfish older person who needs a lesson in conservation from a smart ass young person.
>>> We don't like being older in the first place, so it doesn't take much to piss us off.
This person doesn't like being older? What's wrong with him/her?
DeleteI also find myself wondering just how old he/she is as I try to pin down the exact date of "back then."
I almost edited out that last, snarky line, since the tone doesn't seem to fit with the rest of the piece, rant though it may be. And I agree that "back then" seems to cover a lot of ground. According to my mother, they stopped getting milk deliveries in the early '60s, but she had a diaper service for me in the mid '60s. And Coke bottles - glass bottles in general - didn't go out of fashion till fairly recently. Yes, the piece is a bit hap hazard with regard to time periods, but the overall effect is spot on IMO. I especially liked the final jab about GPS.
DeleteWe never had milk delivered after the 1940s. Something to do with pasteurization, I believe, although my memory is hazy. But we never had television until the 1950s. (Actually the late 1960s for me personally.)
DeleteHmmmmm.... Milk delivered, early 1960's. TV, late 1950's (one channel). Candles for when the power went out,--I kept them handy into the 1980's, but hardly used them after the 1960's. Can't remember when soda changed from bottles to cans, but it seems it must have been around 1970. Diaper service, mid 1980's. That's all for now, gotta bathe and then get some work done. Continuing education, mostly.
Delete--Alan
Howard would still be firstmostlike in our hearts!
ReplyDeleteAnother gorgeous cool August day--it's 67ยบ in my living room as I type. Beginning to hope this isn't indicative of a colder than normal winter in the pipeline. . . .
Puddle, the weather has become so erratic, is it meaningful to talk about portents?
DeleteYou have a point, lol!
DeleteThe piece you posted makes some good points, Catreona. :-) I imagine each gene ration does the best it can in its present circumstances.
ReplyDelete"gene ration" was supposed to be "generation"!
DeleteI have never ever seen that pun before!!! ROFL!
"Sorry, Citizen; you have already used up your ration of genes."
Delete--Alan
Happy to report that my eyeglasses took about ten minutes to fix and there was no charge!
ReplyDeleteSpent the day with VT*Grand and we had a blast! After breakfast we painted, danced, read books, went for a bike ride (she is learning to ride a two wheeler), went into the forest and collected sticks and pinecones, leaves and other goodies, came home and built a fairy house, then went to the Shelburne Museum so she could ride the Carousel. :-) A perfect time together!! ♥
Alan...LOL!
ReplyDelete