Quote:
Originally Posted by Frank Lee
In the line at the store, the cashier told the older woman that plastic bags weren't good for the environment. The woman apologized to her and explained,
"We didn't have the green thing back in my day."
That's right, they didn't have the green thing in her day. Back then, they returned their milk bottles, Coke bottles, and beer bottles to the store. The store sent them back to the plant to be washed and sterilized and refilled, using the same bottles over and over. So they really were recycled.
But they didn't have the green thing back her day.
In her day, they walked up stairs, because they didn't have an escalator in every store and office building. They walked to the grocery store and didn't climb into a 300-horsepower machine every time they had to go two blocks.
But she's right. They didn't have the green thing in her day.
Back then, they washed the baby's diapers because they didn't have the throw-away kind. They dried clothes on a line, not in an energy gobbling machine burning up 220 volts - wind and solar power really did dry the clothes. Kids got hand-me-down clothes from their brothers or sisters, not always brand-new clothing.
But that old lady is right, they didn't have the green thing back in her day.
Back then, they 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 pizza dish, not a screen the size of the state of Montana. In the kitchen, they blended and stirred by hand because they didn't have electric machines to do everything for you. When they packaged a fragile item to send in the mail, they used wadded up newspaper to cushion it, not Styrofoam or plastic bubble wrap.
Back then, they didn't fire up an engine and burn gasoline just to cut the lawn. They used a push mower that ran on human power. They exercised by working so they didn't need to go to a health club to run on treadmills that operate on electricity.
But she's right, they didn't have the green thing back then.
They drank from a fountain when they were thirsty, instead of using a cup or a plastic bottle every time they had a drink of water. They refilled pens with ink, instead of buying a new pen, and they replaced the razor blades in a razor instead of throwing away the whole razor just because the blade got dull.
But they didn't have the green thing back then.
Back then, people took the streetcar and kids rode their bikes to school or rode the school bus, instead of turning their moms into a 24-hour taxi service. They had one electrical outlet in a room, not an entire bank of sockets to power a dozen appliances. And they 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 pizza joint.
But that old lady is right. They didn't have the green thing back in her day.
Hmmm....makes you think....
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First time I've ever put up one of those emails that goes around. But I like this one.  |
Or as someone else put it.
In the line at the store, the cashier told the older woman that plastic bags weren’t good for the environment. The woman apologized to her and explained, “We didn’t have the green thing back in my day.”
That’s right, they didn’t have the green thing in her day. Back then, they returned their milk bottles, Coke bottles and beer bottles to the store. The store sent them back to the plant to be washed and sterilized and refilled, using the same bottles over and over. So they really were recycled. But they didn’t have the green thing back her day.
Back in those days, when she found ants in the kitchen cupboards, you just sent the kids through the house with the DDT pump sprayer. The darned stuff smelled great, too and was great fun. But they didn't have the EPA thing in her day.
In her day, they walked up stairs, because they didn’t have an escalator in every store and office building. They walked to the grocery store and didn’t climb into a 300-horsepower machine every time they had to go two blocks. But she’s right. They didn’t have the green thing in her day.
Kids rode their bikes to school, to go fishing, an all over town without the bother of helmets. Sure, some died of head injuries, but many survived to have productive lives in wheelchairs that were not motorized. But they didn't have the highway-traffic-safety-law thing in her day.
Back then, they washed the baby’s diapers because they didn’t have the throw-away kind. They dried clothes on a line, not in an energy gobbling machine burning up 220 volts – wind and solar power really did dry the clothes. Kids got hand-me-down clothes from their brothers or sisters, not always brand-new clothing. But that old lady is right, they didn’t have the green thing back in her day.
Moms stayed home and didn't MIND handling human feces and soiled linens, or spending all their time hanging clothes outside and praying for warm weather; in fact, there was nothing they liked better! Which is why it took so very many years for disposal diapers, and modern washers and dryers to catch on. They didn't have the it-takes-two-full-time-careers-to-support-the-family thing in her day.
Back then, they 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 pizza dish, not a screen the size of the state of Montana . In the kitchen, they blended and stirred by hand because they didn’t have electric machines to do everything for you. When they packaged a fragile item to send in the mail, they used wadded up newspaper to cushion it, not styrofoam or plastic bubble wrap.
In those days, a single TV cost as much money as most men made in a month or more. And there were only two or three things to watch anyway. All those new-fangled labor-saving appliances were just so darned expensive that women could only DREAM about them. Newspapers for packaging -- you bet! Back then, everybody took the newspaper; how else were you supposed to keep up with the great big world? They didn't have the cheap-consumer-electronics, cable-TV, and continuous-multimedia-information-technology thing in her day.
Back then, they didn’t fire up an engine and burn gasoline just to cut the lawn. They used a push mower that ran on human power. They exercised by working so they didn’t need to go to a health club to run on treadmills that operate on electricity. But she’s right, they didn’t have the green thing back then.
Back then, when they fired up an engine and burned gasoline, it was good, pure gasoline with lots of lead in it. And it burned hot, and fierce, and was exhausted straight into the very air they breathed. And when they changed the oil in those engines, the old oil could just be dumped into the ground, anywhere. And all the sewage and all the waste water could be dumped straight into the rivers and the bays, because that's how they did it then. And all the factories and the businesses could do the same, just as they pleased, and everybody liked it, but wouldn't eat the fish. But, no, they didn't have that pollution-control thing then.
They drank from a fountain when they were thirsty, instead of using a cup or a plastic bottle every time they had a drink of water. They refilled pens with ink, instead of buying a new pen, and they replaced the razor blades in a razor instead of throwing away the whole razor just because the blade got dull. But they didn’t have the green thing back then.
When they were thirsty, they had a cigarette or a cuppa joe; there was never a water fountain around when you needed one. They refilled pens with ink, but had to throw away perfectly good ink-stained shirts all the time; they jumped for joy when the ball-point pen hit the market. They replaced razor blades then, just like most people do still -- only their blades weren't $30 for a four-pack of refills; they also cut themselves a lot. No, they didn't have the modern-consumer-goods thing then.
Back then, people took the streetcar and kids rode their bikes to school or rode the school bus, instead of turning their moms into a 24-hour taxi service. They had one electrical outlet in a room, not an entire bank of sockets to power a dozen appliances. And they 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 pizza joint.
Back then, they took the streetcar or the train lots of places, and didn't need to use their cars very much; it seems people had more gumption to build such things then. They didn't need signals from space to race around around town, but they were all FOR the race to space; even if they couldn't imagine the things it would bring into their grandchildrens' lives, they knew it was important, and they opened up their pocketbooks. No, they didn't have the short-sighted, selfish thing then.
But that old lady is right. They didn’t have the green thing back in her day.
That old lady is just old. They didn't have lots of things in her day. I hope my grandchildren can say the same some day.