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Saturday, June 14, 2014

Things Our Kids Have Missed Out On!

                                          
If I could sum up my childhood in one word it would be… BORING. So much has changed in our world for the better but after hearing of the imminent demise of our postal system this week it started to concern me what things my grand kids will never have experienced.


Indeed, there are certain things which stand out in my mind I’m sure my own kids are ignorant of which may have been… challenging, fun, character building aspects of life assisting them in their later development which they'll never even know existed.

For example:

Making prank calls from a public phone when there was no caller ID and only the police could trace calls and that was only if you stayed on the phone for a really long time. Remember the old chestnut, “Is that the Wall residence?” "What? You mean there are no Walls living there? How is your house standing up then?" Hang up giggling and running away.

Or ringing the number which told you the time just because you were bored.

Or ringing the free call directory assistance number just to annoy them with questions like, “Do you know who won the Melbourne Cup in 1967?”



How sorry I am they don't know about going to the movies and having to stand for “God Save the Queen” before the first movie commenced. There were always two movies featured and the first one was a guaranteed shocker.

What about being the first up when the milk man delivered bottled, unhomogenised milk to your door every weekday? I was always first up and would pour the creamy bit on my cereal leaving the bland, watery whey for everyone else. Dad would crack a mental.

How sad they missed out on when really friendly young guys would come out at the petrol station, fill your car up, clean your windscreen and check the oil.

Or when you could buy 20 cents worth of lollies and they’d last all afternoon.

Or when the naughty boys who mucked up in class would be sent to the office and come back crying with “the cuts” marks on their hands and were well-behaved for the rest of the year.

Or when the school tuckshop sold “Cream Horns” which were delicious and decadent and no-one thought to make a dirty connotation out of it and nobody got fat because we all walked or rode to school.

Or when we would all spend fifteen minutes repacking our Cuisenaire Rods back into the boxes in Infant School… back when it was called Infant School.


Or when you had to have your shoes properly fitted with one of those medical-looking metal contraptions at the beginning of every school year. You couldn't just pick a pair of Nikes from the shelf.

                                                   

Or when television didn’t start until 4:00pm and there were only two channels anyway but you’d still sit and stare patiently at the test pattern waiting for it.



Or when at eleven o’clock at night the telly would close down and God Save the Queen and the test pattern would come up.

Or when every local television station had an afternoon show hosted by a pretty young woman and a clown and you wouldn’t miss it for quids.

Or when the highlight of the year was when “The Show” came to town and you’d get a new outfit and money to spend on Sample Bags that cost two dollars and had actual ‘samples’ in them not cheap confectionery from China.

Or when your father wouldn’t let you go out with boys who owned a Panel Van even if they came in to the house and shook your father’s hand.

Or when smoking an Alpine cigarette on the way home from school was de rigueur but in the holidays you’d keep the packet in your school bag until next term when they’d be stale but you couldn’t afford to buy a new packet even though they only cost $1.80 so you’d cough your way through them anyway to impress your friends.

Or when you could buy a brand new release 45 single for $1:00 and an LP for $6:00.



Or when your stay at home Mum would pour herself a Bacardi and Coke at 6:00pm and put lipstick on because your Dad was coming home soon.

Or when you’d spend Saturday night listening to the local radio station and request songs for your twelve year old girlfriends and you’d have to sit with your finger in the last number’s hole and patiently wait for the right second on your rotary dial phone to get through.

Or when a treat was to eat last night’s leftover rice with sugar and milk or to eat Milo out of the tin whenever your Mum went out and left you for ten minutes.

Or when your rite of passage was to have your ears pierced when you turned twelve not a sleeve tattoo when you turned eighteen.

Honestly… I could keep going with my trip down memory lane but I think the ambulance has arrived to take me away to the old people’s home.



Is there anything you remember you think your kids need to know about?


Linking up with Sonia at Life Love and Hiccups.

Comments (32)

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Saturday morning cartoons, yoyo season at school, marbles season, ringing up dial-a-hit because there were no such things as iPods and making our own mix tapes! The kiddies will be asking, "what's a tape?"

Awesome post Pinky!
Loved every single one of those memories! And totally related. You reminded me of a few I'd forgot—or would rather forget! Have to share ...
My recent post The People Smuggler, by Robin de Crespigny
1 reply · active 580 weeks ago
I remember doing some of those things with you!
1 reply · active 580 weeks ago
Watching RAGE saturday morning and making a mental note of the top 50 so on Sunday when they repeated it your finger is on the record button at the right time for your faves......
:) x
1 reply · active 580 weeks ago
I love this post! Brought back my own memories... Especially the test screen and prank calls!
For me, eucalyptus lollies in school uniform zip pocket and hot dog day at school (wait, they might still have them?!)
xx
My recent post A dedication.
1 reply · active 580 weeks ago
My husband still eats most of the milo straight from the tin. This is a great list. I love it. My kids don't even remember not having a kids devoted tv station abc 22 is a gift to us all! But I was listening to the big wig of ABC last week who said with all the budget cuts from the federal budget ABC is going to have to cut something, maybe ABC 22 or ABC 3, perhaps iView or News 24...can you imagine all the kids losing Peppa Pig!
1 reply · active 580 weeks ago
Yes - I am saddened by the demise of the milk man. Who are bored housewives meant to have extra marital shenanigans with nowadays? Modern tradies never show up at convenient times. Meanwhile did you guys have to put aerosol caps over the milk bottles to prevent the currawongs from piercing the foil bottle tops and siphoning off the cream layer?
My recent post Bitch-abulous
1 reply · active 580 weeks ago
Our kids have missed out on so much fun because we had to use our imaginations to make our own fun, not be entertained 24/7 by modern technology gadgets. It is so funny about the rice and milk treat, because my hubby still has this when we have leftover rice!
My recent post The Road Ahead
1 reply · active 579 weeks ago
OMG Yes yes and yes! And making mixed tapes and playing and rewinding those tapes a million times so you could write down the words. And getting real letters in the post from penpals you had never met but hooked up with via the Dolly penpal section ;) xx
My recent post Weekend Rewind Blog Hop - Running Out of Things To Say
1 reply · active 579 weeks ago
Oh YES!! So many memories right here, Pinky!
I point out public phone boxes to Bell, on the rare occasions we see them, but she just doesn't get it. She can't quite believe we didn't always have mobile phones.
Thanks for all the memories love, and save me a spot if you get to that old folks' home first xx
My recent post Wintery
PS, what about the little cartons of milk at school little lunch?!!! :)
My recent post Wintery
1 reply · active 579 weeks ago
You've summed up so many, many things. I mixed Milo AND condensed milk when my parents were out though, and swung on the Hills Hoist. And the 'rich' kids at school would get soft drink from the truck that went around the streets, what was the brand? Great post!!
1 reply · active 579 weeks ago
How cool to take a trip down memory lane - I LOVED IT !!!!!
I would eat coconut and teaspoons of sugar or drinking chocolate mixed with just a dash of milk so it was more powder than milk !!
Have the best day !
Me

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