Whoa - Things Have Changed!

My friend Carolyn posted this on FB today:

When I was a kid I didn't have an XBox or Wii, but I played me some Oregon Trail! My curfew was the moonlight and mom didn't call my cell, she yelled when it was time to come home. I played outside with friends, not Online. If I didn't eat what my mom made me then I didn't eat. Period. Hand sanitizer didn't exist, but you COULD get your mouth washed out with soap. Repost if you drank water out of a hose & survived!


This really got me to thinking. Yes, things have definitely changed. 


When I was younger, beginning in about 3rd grade, we did have a weekly computer class in school. Our computers were those old-school apple computers. Remember those - the small, rectangular box computers with a teensy screen? And, yes...I totally remember playing Oregon Trail. We did not have a computer at home until I was...hmmm...probably in college. NOT kidding! I'm pretty sure I even used a type-writer for one of my first college papers. And, I'm not even that old! The internet...well, that didn't even come out until I was in college. I take that back - it was at the end of my high school years, but...no one really had it or used it. Even in college, my papers were written using books. Remember those things? 


About XBox or the Wii...we did have an Atari. Oh nelly - I loved me some Donkey Kong and Frogger. Then, in the fourth grade I won the first Nintendo system from my school. Yep, I even played it on a black and white TV in my room. Can you believe I had a black and white TV in my room in the 80's?


As for curfew...well, I'm not sure I really ever had one of those. My parents were pretty lenient. But, I was a REALLY good girl. And, I'm not being sarcastic. They didn't really have to worry. Well, at least about me :)


Cell phones. Wow. I got my first cell phone in college. Before that - remember pagers? Well, I did have one of those...but, I'm pretty sure I never used it. In today's world - kids get cell phones by the time they're 10. Brady already talks about one. He's not getting one - he doesn't even talk on the phone yet!


We definitely played outside waaaaay more than inside. Outdoor games - hide and seek (which we also played in the dark inside at night) and colored eggs. Those were my faves. I can still remember playing colored eggs outside my Nan and Pops house with all my cousins. Good times.


Dinner...I don't remember there being a choice. You ate what you got. I don't remember complaining. But, I do remember a lot of spaghetti and chicken. And, I now cook a lot of spaghetti and chicken. 


Last - about the water. I'm pretty sure my parents never bought water bottles. We drank it out of the faucet. With ice from ice trays and yes, it was water from the sink. 


The Hottie said to me recently...with all the Blockbuster closures...can you believe that our kids won't really even know what a movie store is? Holy crap! He's right. Red Box, Netflix...they've eliminated the excitement of going to Blockbuster (or Scottsdale Video for the old-schoolers like myself) and renting a movie. There was nothing like walking round and round the store looking to see what was available and hoping that just maybe, the movie that you REALLY wanted would be returned while you were waiting there. 


The internet has totally changed things, as well. The cuties never really have to wonder about the answer to something. They can just Google it. Yes, Google is a noun and a verb. Brady knows how to connect to the internet via his Nintendo DS. The other day in the car - he was confused why he couldn't go online to check for games. (which by the way - he can't buy anyway, he just likes to browse.)


FB. Wow...what a change a social network has brought. I was one of the planners of my 10 year high school reunion in 2007. Yes, this is after FB had begun - but, it was not yet very popular...at least for my school. Getting in touch with people was pretty difficult. But, now - high school reunions are not the same because FB has kept people in touch. I feel like I still see people I went to high school with quite often - when in reality...I just get updates from them on FB. When someone doesn't have a FB (Brett!!) it makes me so mad!


Sheesh! These are just some of the few big changes from my childhood. I'm 32. It hasn't even been that long and look at how far we've come. I'm not sure which generation is better. 50's? 60's? 80's? Today?


What are some other changes from your childhood????