Am I over the hill?
Okay, so I just had my 50-something birthday. Some may label it “over the hill” but I describe the new phase of my life an adventure. Since my children are now adults, my husband and I are exploring a new chapter in our lives. We previously utilized all of our resources — spiritually, financially and emotionally — to raise our children and create a stable and loving atmosphere for them to thrive. “Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it.” (Proverbs 22:6, NIV) Now, we are ready to explore what life has to offer at this stage.
One of my ventures involved me registering for online college classes. It was here that I was first introduced to The Beloit College Mindset List (http://www.beloit.edu/mindset/). “Each August since 1998, Beloit College has released the Beloit College Mindset List. It provides a look at the cultural touchstones that shape the lives of students entering college this fall… It was originally created as a reminder to faculty to be aware of dated references, and quickly became a catalog of the rapidly changing worldview of each new generation.” Another entertaining feature of the site is to vary the date and review past lists published. These lists are fascinating to check out.
A few interesting examples from the Mindset List for the Class of 2014 includes:
- Few in the class know how to write in cursive.
- Email is just too slow, and they seldom if ever use snail mail.
- They never twisted the coiled handset wire aimlessly around their wrists while chatting on the phone.
- The first home computer they probably touched was an Apple II or Mac II; they are now in a museum.
Here is a list of some changes I have observed over the years:
- Shared phone line – As a child we had a “party” line and you had to wait to place a call. Imagine picking up the phone and hearing a conversation underway. No privacy at all.
- Full-service gas stations – My dad wouldn’t allow me walk in the gas station with him to pay because I was a girl. There were no self-service stations. Most stations also had a mechanic’s service bay.
- We got our first television when I was about 10 or 12 years old. My dad built our first television from a kit and we never had more than one television while I was living at home. The first program we watched was Daktari, a show about a veterinarian running an animal study center in Africa.
- After graduating in 1975, my first job was working for our county government with an annual salary was $7,187 (approximately $3.95 per hour). This was considered a fantastic position.
- We shopped in a neighborhood general store where you bought hardware, clothes, shoes, and groceries. I guess it’s almost like a modern day Wal-Mart or Target Supercenter. That same store is now a very large grocery store with several locations.
- We always had company for Sunday dinner. Mom would prepare delicious home-cooked meals, my favorite being her fried chicken, potato salad and baked beans. And chocolate layer cake for dessert. Yum!
- On Easter, we always wore a hat and white gloves with our prettiest new dress, while carrying a purse. The night before usually involved pink sponge curlers. Attending church and then visiting grandparents was part of our day. Mom and Dad splurged and often we ate in a restaurant (White Coffee Pot).
- I am from the “Blue Crab capital” (along the Chesapeake Bay) and I had never eaten a crab until I began dating the man who would become my husband. The funny thing is my husband had never eaten shrimp until he met me. I guess we each introduced the other to some good food!
- We sat down to dinner every night as a family. We would watch for dad’s car to pull in the driveway and mom would have the table prepared as she was standing ready to scoop piping hot food into serving dishes.
- We were not permitted to go into a neighbor’s yard without permission from our parents. We even had the traditional white picket fence.
- There was no allowance for doing our chores. We were expected to help just because we were part of the family.
I’m sure all of us are able to come up with a list of events which were taken for granted in their day. I miss some of these events but I’m also grateful for some of the technology which makes communication and transportation so far superior today.
What are changes you have noticed in your life?
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