As
we look toward 2016, how many times have you
heard it said"...
"It's Not Like It
Was in the Old Days"
We
received two reminders who addressed that observation...my dear friend, Dorothy Yu, and my wife's "partner in crime", Linda Dawson, who has always enjoyed "putting me in my place" with a special "LOOK" she has painstakingly taken the time to educate my
wife in its usage.
I
might add, I received Dorothy's and Linda's emails following a day at the Apple Store when my wife's brand new "6S I-Phone" needed a few
adjustments.
We waited our turn to have the phone examined, and suddenly I became intimidated, yet couldn't resist an uncontrollable grin and a shaking of my head back and forth !
...as I witnessed a full brigade of red shirted individuals...
We waited our turn to have the phone examined, and suddenly I became intimidated, yet couldn't resist an uncontrollable grin and a shaking of my head back and forth !
...as I witnessed a full brigade of red shirted individuals...
Apple..ites
!
...the oldest of which had to have been 40-45 years younger than myself, surrounding me with
devious "Can I Help You" smiles...faster than Superman could fly
!
Do I turn around and
run...or...stay?
Wifey immediately (with the LOOK), said....SIT DOWN !
But the brigade didn't stop with the red shirts !
I turned around and saw four kids (no older that 5-6 years old) sitting together at a table...all playing with their newest toys....I-Phones...and...I-Pads...
I turned around and saw four kids (no older that 5-6 years old) sitting together at a table...all playing with their newest toys....I-Phones...and...I-Pads...
Mini Apple...ites !
$700.00+...toys
!
...and the confusion seemed to
increase as I pondered...
"Who was I supposed
to get the assistance from?
Well now it took 2.5 hours for one of the big "Apple...ites" to tell us to come back the
next day...and it was during that 2.5 hours of torture
that..
...It "hit me" that Dorothy
Yu's and Linda Dawson's messages were put in proper prospective
...
...and set my mind to wandering as it so often does
!
And so...
Just what was it like "in the
old days" ?
...thinking about what those
"Apple...ites" will be
saying as they close out
2115 !
2115 !
So...I went home and into the garage and
dusted off my Delorean...
...and...
...set the "flux capacitor" to December 31, 1915, traveling 88 miles per hour down Sun City Anthem Parkway (being passed by 5 senior citizens driving pick-up trucks and their 50,000 pound SUVs)...
...set the "flux capacitor" to December 31, 1915, traveling 88 miles per hour down Sun City Anthem Parkway (being passed by 5 senior citizens driving pick-up trucks and their 50,000 pound SUVs)...
And...BAM...here's what I discovered as I went
...
to
1915
The average
life expectancy for men was 47 years.
Fuel for cars
was sold in drug stores only.
Only 14% of the homes had a bathtub.
Only 8% of the homes had a telephone.
The maximum
speed limit in most cities was 10 mph.
The average
US wage was 22 cents per hour.
The average
US worker made between $200 and $400 per year ...
A competent
accountant could expect to earn $2000 per year.
A
dentist could make $2,500 per year.
A
veterinarian could earn between $1,500 and $4,000 per
year.
A mechanical
engineer earned about $5,000 per year.
More
than 95% of all births took place at home.
90% of all Doctors had NO COLLEGE EDUCATION!
Instead, they
attended so-called medical schools, many of which were condemned in the press
AND the government as "substandard."
Sugar cost
four cents a pound.
Eggs were
fourteen cents a dozen.
Coffee
was fifteen cents a
pound.
Most women
only washed their hair once a month, and, used Borax
or egg yolks for shampoo.
Canada passed a law that prohibited poor people from entering into
their country for any reason.
The Five
leading causes of death were:
1. Pneumonia
and influenza
2. Tuberculosis
3. Diarrhea
4. Heart disease
5. Stroke
2. Tuberculosis
3. Diarrhea
4. Heart disease
5. Stroke
The American flag had 45
stars.
Crossword
puzzles, canned beer, and iced tea hadn't been invented yet.
There was
neither a Mother's Day nor a Father's Day.
20% of adults couldn't read or write, and, only 6% of all Americans had graduated from high school.
Marijuana, heroin, and morphine were all available
over the counter at local corner drugstores,
believing "Heroin clears the complexion, gives
buoyancy to the mind, regulates the stomach, bowels, and is, in fact, a perfect
guardian of health!"
18% of households had at least one full-time servant or
domestic help.
There were
about 230 reported murders in the ENTIRE U.S.A.!
The
population of Las Vegas, Nevada was only
30.
...and... as I was
beginning my landing back on Sun City Anthem
Parkway on the last day of 2015...I keep
wondering...
Should I turn around... and go back
to...
"The Good Old Days
of 1915"
All of us at Anthem Opinions, wish all of you...our
readers...a happy and healthy...
2016
Anthem Opinions
Administration
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