But lets go back even farther, before I had ever even looked at a computer. Back when the only electronic things in the house were the VCR and the calculator. Or even before that..... when I used to go rent a laser disk player to watch movies. Remember those? I thought there was nothing better than to go rent a player for the weekend with a few movies. The only one I clearly remember renting was Phantasm and watching that while my (then) husband was out of town working. My daughter was just a baby at the time. (Yes it spooked me, thanks for asking.)
But what about before that? Atari 2600 anyone? My brother got one of these about the time that I got married (god I just realized how that makes me sound so fucking ancient). Anyway, when my husband and I would go visit my folks, I would play Atari with my brother. I loved it. It wasn't long until that was pushed aside by the bigger and better NES.
But before that?
Pong?
Does anyone else here remember how entertained we all were by knocking the little blip back and forth across the screen? Seems comically prehistoric now, doesn't it?
But before that? How was I ever entertained before all the fun gadgets were invented?
I climbed trees. A lot. We had a mimosa tree in the front yard that I loved climbing up into, especially when it was blooming. Nothing smells as sweet as being in the middle of a huge mimosa tree on a summer morning.
I rode my bicycle. All the kids in the neighborhood, including me, thought it was the coolest thing in the world to use clothespins to attach playing cards to our bicycle spokes so that it made a really obnoxious noise when we rode down the street.
I read books. Voraciously. One of the things I catch myself neglecting these days is reading an actual book. Audio books are okay, reading books on the internet is okay, but nothing compares to holding the actual book in our hands and losing ourselves in the story. This was my favorite book when I was a kid.
And friends? I had lots of friends. We didn't keep in touch through MySpace or Facebook. We didn't have MSN Messenger, GoogleTalk or Yahoo. We went to the actual outdoors and talked to each other face-to-face.
Unheard of.
Anyway..... it looks to be another gorgeous morning in Savannah. I must do what all adults do and go to my job and stare at the computer screen for the next 8 hours, and long for a nice mimosa tree to sit in.
;-)
8 comments:
Now you've made me feel REALLY old. I remember all.
We used to roller skate all over the place, played hopscotch using old shoe heels, go to the local park for recreation (arts/crafts/games/sports), come home soaked because we tried to get across the creek without getting wet, go to the movies then for pizza afterwards (2 of us for under $5), then as we got a lil older, the kissing contests behind the shed at the park, and lastly drugs. hmmmm that explains my rambling post.... or does it???
What has the world become???
Not sure, but somehow I made it. (with God's merciful grace I'm sure)
But...but if it weren't for AlGores interweb, I would never have 'met' you!
I try to have my kids do the same things I did as a kid (i.e. very little TV, no video games, and no computer except Webkinz). They swim, ride bikes, play in the dirt and the creek, and have lemonade stands.
I still have my laserdisc player, for what it's worth. (And on eBay, it's probably worth about $50.)
Hmmmmm...double dutch ....hidenseek, board games!!!...roller skating with the skates that had keys!!! omg I'm sooo old!
Peace
So should we face the fact that we are all old now?
hehe
My son just installed plasmapong on my computer, a psychadelic version of pong (which I played on a table at teh pizza place as a kid). It felt like a full circle sort of thing. But the before that stuff - skates and books and games - that was WAY cool.
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