Back in the Day

Dave

Adventurist
Founder
Senior Staff
Editor
*Note: I saw this on the net and found it to be thought provoking

In the line at the store, the cashier told the older woman that she should bring her own grocery bag because plastic bags weren’t good for the environment. The woman apologized to him and explained, “We didn’t have the green thing back in my day.”

The clerk responded, "That's our problem today. The former generation did not care enough to save our environment."

He was right, that generation didn’t have the "green thing" in its day.

It was called "reality" in those "olden" conservation days of the 50's, 60's and 70's

Back then, they returned their milk bottles, soda bottles and beer bottles to the store. The store sent them back to the plant to be washed and sterilized and refilled, so it could use the same bottles over and over. So they really were recycled.

But they didn’t have the "green thing" back in the 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 was 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 handkerchief, 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 a wadded up old newspaper to cushion it, not Styrofoam or plastic bubble wrap.

Brown grocery bags were saved.

The brown wrapping to mail a package was the back side of the paper bags used to bring home the groceries.

The brown bag paper bag had other uses. It was used as construction paper and other needs. Hardly anyone purchased "brown paper"

Back then, they didn’t always fire up an engine and burn gasoline just to cut the lawn. Most 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 foam cup or a plastic bottle every time they had a drink of water. They refilled their writing 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 or a bus 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 let people know their every move and thought and whim in real time, worldwide.

Most people did not have air conditioning in houses, offices, or cars. They opened windows and got used to where they lived.

Millions of kilowatt's Saved.

But she’s right, they didn’t have the "green thing" back then.
 
I remember those old days, at least the 60's. :tango
I do like the air conditioning now, grew up without it... in the south.

It is ironic that today's youth have no conception of conservation, yet boldly proclaim their Green credentials as earned.

-Andy
 
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