What the hell?!? That shit makes me feel so old!
Why you say?
Well, because I will be 40 years old in May and I can remember what life was like before the WWW.
It didn't really hit me until one day we came home and there was something on our doorstep, my daughter who is 10 got super excited because she thought we got a present.
"Uh, Emilie, that's not a present. That's what you call a phone book."
It was one of those mini phone books. She was in awe, because she never heard of such a thing!
She scooped it up and brought it inside and dove right in.
"Mommy, are these people's actual phone numbers?"
"Yes, Emilie they sure are."
I proceeded to tell her a story that phone books when I was growing up were way bigger and when I had a sleepover, me and my girlfriends used to open it up and randomly pick a number and prank call someone.
After I explained what a prank call was she jumped up and down and insisted we do that too.
"Oh hell no, baby girl! There is something called caller id now and they would know who was calling them."
Ahh, life before caller id. (makes me smile)
The phone book isn't the only thing I remember having as a kid. Can you actually believe that I learned how to type on a typewriter? Yep! Fortunately it was an electric one!
I know damn well, my daughter wouldn't know what white out is either! Is there any use for that anymore?
In high school, I think in my junior maybe senior year, our school finally got "Computer Class." I got to learn how to use a computer. Without a mouse! There was no such thing back then. Well, at least not at our school. You actually had to press a button, I think F5 to save your work.
And, we saved it on a floppy disk! It wasn't till after I graduated and got my first office job in 1995 that I was able to save my work on a Hard disk! Wow!
I also remember asking my mom for help on my homework, and she would refer me to the Encyclopedia's in the living room.
"I didn't pay all that money for those damn books, for you not to use them!" She used to say every time, because I was too lazy to get up.
Now, you can just "Google" something and boop, there's your answer!
Oh my, who remembers what a card catalog is at the library? Betcha, a shit ton of people don't.
How long has it been since you had to use a pay phone? And, good freaking luck finding one!!
This is back when you actually memorized everyone's phone number. And if you didn't you just looked in the phone book that was attached to the phone booth.
I'm not even gonna go into records, cassette or VHS tapes!
Even, though all of this makes me feel ancient, I'm also so happy that I had the privilege to grow up when you actually had to use a map to find your way. I think my generation has the best of both worlds.
If shit falls apart tomorrow and there is no more Internet or cell phones we will know how to survive! These 20 year old kids they will be walking around the streets like zombies. Not talking to anyone, because without cell phone to text someone they have no idea how to actually communicate with anyone!
Yay, 40 I'm ready for ya now!
Thanks for reading,
