a long time ago

  I've seen the meme's on Facebook asking to date yourself without telling the date you were born. Usually people name a movie or a song, a band, or telephones, something like that. I've mentioned hiding under the desk at school during simulated nuclear attack and using the mimeograph machine. Now people in my age group understand all of that. But there is one thing that I can say that may surprise even those folks. I was born on a Monday morning, three months after the first issue of TV guide was published. Yes, I'm almost as old as the TV guide, which to my surprise, is still being printed. The "guide" is 67 years old. A lot has happened since. In 1954 the Swanson brothers invented the TV dinner. Snack trays followed. Soon the televisions were in color, had stereo sound and where the size of a small house! Yes, a lot has happened.

 Depending upon where you were born and raised the things that may date you are different. Growing up in a rural area we had two television channels. Channel three and channel eight, both out of Conn. Occasionally a third option  would appear through the magic of atmospheric transmission, that's what the science guy called it, but it would soon disappear. When I was real small the operator still connected you. You picked up the phone, the operator asked, number please, and you got connected. Yes, no dial, no pushbuttons, just someone's mother at the switchboard. When "cablevision" erected a tower in town that was a big deal. There were those that just couldn't believe anyone would pay to watch television. Imagine that, paying to watch television, might as well throw your money away. Well, some people did pay extra to have a private phone line so there's that. 

 I was reminded of all that the other day. I had received a Facebook Watch invitation. An old friend was getting married. Wishing to view this ceremony on the big screen, my 55 inch smart tv, I looked into how that could be done. Now, I'm all for new technology and have found that You Tube has videos that will explain just about anything. Doing a little research I discovered that I should be able to simply stream Facebook to my smart tv, all I need to do is install the app on my television. That's when, after twenty minutes of frustration and more research, I discover my television isn't that smart after all. I can not install the Facebook Watch app on this set. I would need to purchase Chromecast or Roku or another option, a smarter tv. Needless to say I watched the ceremony on my computer. But I was grateful for Mr. Google, can't imagine how many trips to the library that would have taken, and all the searching through the card catalogue. I wonder where in the Dewey Decimal system streaming Facebook would be found? Must be a card in there somewhere for that. I do remember using a computer with a green screen and you typed dos commands in it. Yeah, I remember when that was brand new tech, along with floppy discs. Heck I remember the Sony Walkman as cutting edge.

 I do enjoy reading the responses to meme's like those. I can relate to a number of them. The things we remember from childhood. Just why did we eat that white paste in kindergarten? We all knew Dick and Jane and who was a boy and a girl, but we ate the paste? Getting to "clap" the erasers was a privilege. We loved the smell of the mimeograph ink. I remember when the teacher gave you two pencils, #2's, that had to last until the next quarter. We held our books together with those heavy elastic bands with steel hooks on the ends, since banned as dangerous weapons. Those brown paper grocery bags made the coolest book covers. We stood every morning, facing the flag and recited the pledger of allegiance. When something really bad happened, we even prayed in school. Yes, that's how old I am. And no one was offended! It was a long time ago.