Remember when?

[buldog5151bass]

I know I am going to come off as an old man yelling at clouds, but I'm not. While I am grateful for much of what the modern world has given us, there is no doubt that things in our average life have changed greatly in the past few years, and not always for the better.

For those of us who were adults in the world before it was dominated by the internet, what are three things you miss the most, and why? What are three things you won't miss so much?

I miss:

1. Book stores, libraries, and physical books - it was fun browsing the shelves, and finding new things. My wife and I used to make a date night finishing up at a book store. We would get a cup of coffee, browse the stacks, and each buy something to take home. Many of my favorite paperbacks are dog-eared because they are loved and often re-read.

2. regular physical mail - there was something a little more personal about getting a real letter in your hand. I had a friend in college who actually signed up for a bunch of junk mail, just so he would have something in his mail box every day.

3. More personal contact - it seems like most people, even when in a room with others, have their faces buried in their phones of tablets. I know I am guilty of it as well. Seems like some people, especially younger ones, take a phone call as an invasion of their privacy.

I won't miss:

1. printing up driving directions or looking on maps - real-time GPS is a wonderful thing.

Actually, that's all I can think of at the moment.

 

[foal30]

1. Neighborhood Kids playing self organized Sports.

2. People who believed in ridiculous nonsense were generally quieter about it

3. The community vibe of the musical instrument store(s)

 

[socialleper]

I miss bookstores. Heck, I miss stores. Computer stores, music stores, record stores, video stores.

Personal contact is over rated. As I get older, I like being around people less and less.

Snail mail blows.

I don't miss phone calls either. IM is fine.

 

[Ostie]

I tell anybody that will listen that people who are dating have it so much easier now. Back in the day you had to get her number, call it, possibly talk to her dad or mom, and possibly get rejected over the phone. Nowadays kids just text and if you get rejected, it’s much less impersonal. Kids don’t even ask for a date, they skip a couple steps and just ask for a hook up. Then there’s Tinder dating. Anyway, I’m glad I’m not dating, and haven’t been for over 40 years. Except for dates with Mrs. Ostie….

 

[gln1955]

Bookstores is a good one.

I miss

Being able to go to the movies and not have people around behave like they are in their living room.

Little variety stores with penny candy and all kinds of random things.

Sunday newspapers that are worth buying​

I don't miss:

Having three channels on my TV.

Engines with carburetors in the winter.

Long distance telephone charges

​

 

[two fingers]

1. Neighborhood Kids playing self organized Sports.

2. People who believed in ridiculous nonsense were generally quieter about it

3. The community vibe of the musical instrument store(s)

All of these for sure. With #2, I think the advent of the internet made it easier for these people to find others like them. That created two problems.
a) They realized they were not alone, which bolstered their ridiculous beliefs.
b) They were able to contact each other and organize.

This is not a political statement. People believe all kinds of dumb things not having anything to do with politics.

For me, a sense of community altogether is missing. Before the internet, we found out someone near us had a tragedy by word of mouth. Then we got together and helped. I recall one family that lost their home to a fire. Within 12 hours they were staying rent free in a rental owned by a man who had never met them. Clothes, food, furniture, toys, tools, school supplies, etc. came from every direction. Within three months they had used their insurance to buy a piece of land at the urging of a friend who said "There's a plan in place. Just buy some land."

Locals built them a house.

I recall giving up some of my clothes and a bike I had outgrown. My father and brother and I helped hang the siding on the house.

Things like that rarely happen these days. People have their whole world in the palms of their hands. They will "#help out".... but not REALLY help out.

I miss being more "local".

 

[CletusMarley]

I miss my youth. I'm not unhappy, but knowing my best physical days are behind me takes a toll on me.

 

[MJ5150]

Yes, and I remember another time we did a thread like this: Remember those days
Carry on.


-Mike

 

[slobake]

Yes I miss easier social interaction in public. For me, it is a challenge. I love being part of a "community" so I do me best to create that wherever I am at the moment. I am on a first name basis with people I see often in stores. We (mrs. slo and I) had our UPS delivery guy and his daughter over for dinner and games a couple of times. Doing my best to get to know my new neighbors after living here for a year. Have had some over for dinner. I find that a lot of other people are hungry for community as well but many people don't know how to create or be part of that. It can be inconvenient and take commitment but it is worth it. Still learning myself.
I grew up in SoCal in the 50's and 60's and I don't miss open racism, unhealthy attitudes about women and not socializing with anyone "different."

 

[FilterFunk]

I miss my youth. I'm not unhappy, but knowing my best physical days are behind me takes a toll on me.

I really miss being able to run and jump like I used to. I'm glad I'm in good enough shape to feel like I can still do those things, even though I know I can't, and I know better than to try!

When you're a kid, if you feel like running, you just take off running. You don't stretch or warm up first; you just run! I miss that physical freedom.

 

[FilterFunk]

I miss bookstores. Heck, I miss stores. Computer stores, music stores, record stores, video stores.

I loved record stores!

It's great to be able to easily make your own playlists with digital files, but I sure miss browsing in record stores. It was a pretty nice place to meet girls, too!

 

[MJ5150]

I loved record stores!

It's great to be able to easily make your own playlists with digital files, but I sure miss browsing in record stores. It was a pretty nice place to meet girls, too!

Tower Records was the joint to browse for records. Then in Olympia we had this place called Rainy Day Records. Killer selection of popular stuff and way obscure stuff.

-Mike

 

[IamGroot]

I have loved books from childhood, but in the name of space and ease, I have moved over electronic files.

For sheet music, I have about 5 gigs and 10,000 files, but there is some duplication.
For Math Textbooks, about 4.5 gig
For Science, 11 gigs

Plus I have the internet to look up anything my little heart desires. I had 3 floor to ceiling book shelves on art that I dont need anymore that I am dealing out to libraries.

I still go to Half Price Books in College Station, but I usually take my Laptop to check what I am buying against inventory. Last weekend, I looked at 5 math books, but was only missing two which I bought.

 

[slobake]

"\Groucho on the economy (from Animal Crackers):

Roscoe W. Chandler (Louis Sorin): The nickel today is not what it used to be ten years ago.
Captain Spaulding (Groucho): Well, I'll go further than that. I'll get off at the depot. The nickel today is not what it was fifteen years ago. Do you know what this country needs today?
Chandler: What?
Spaudling: A seven cent nickel. Yes siree, we've been using the five-cent nickel in this country since 1492. Now that's pretty near 100 years daylight saving. Now why not give the seven cent nickel a chance? If that works out, next year we can have an eight cent nickel. Think what that would mean? You could go to a newsstand, buy a three cent newspaper, and get the same nickel back again. One nickel carefully used would last a family a life-time.

 

[Funky Ghost]

Yes, and I remember another time we did a thread like this: Remember those days
Carry on.


-Mike

This guy.

 

[Funky Ghost]

I miss borders. My wife and I would take the girls to Waffle House for breakfast in the morning, then drive down to Borders to look for books, cd's or movies and grab a raspberry mocha and sip it. The girls would get hot cider. Wonderful memories. The neat times would be when a music act or a guest author would read a bit from their works.

 

[hbarcat]

I don't miss public smoking.

When I was doing bar gigs in the early 90s, there were thick clouds of smoke filling the room during every show. It always made my eyes itch and my airway sore for many hours afterwards.

When I'd get home at 3am after a gig, I'd need to take a shower before going to bed just to get most of the stench and sticky tar residue off of my skin and hair.

By the early 2000s, public smoking was pretty much over. I'm so glad that crap is forever in the past.

Recently, I told my 10 year old granddaughter what it was like when a significant portion of the population used to smoke, not just in bars, but also in restaurants while dining, in stores while shopping, in offices while conducting business, and pretty much everywhere else, including at work and in your car.

People smoked at home but typically didn't step outside. They'd smoke while watching TV or cooking dinner or even laying in bed.

My granddaughter was horrified when I told her that my friend's father died some years ago when he fell asleep while smoking in bed and his house burned down with him in it. When I said that sort of thing happened fairly often, she looked at me like I just told her that candy bars were really made from dog poop.

 

[definenredefine]

I don't mean to sound too contrarian, but book and record stores still exist. Even in my little slice of southeastern NC we have a few independent book and/or record stores. I love record stores (much to my wife's chagrin) so I would definitely miss them if they went away.

I miss how much easier it was to find folks of similar musical mind as it was back in college. Made it easier to get a band together, made it easier to geek out about records, etc.

 

[MonetBass]

Come to Tulsa. We have local music stores, book stores, record shops, the works.

Kids in our neighborhood still play together in the public spaces.

Sometimes when I think living in Oklahoma sucks, I think about the above. It's really pretty good.

 

[slobake]

I don't miss being drunk and/or loaded all the time. I think. I remember going to the San Francisco Fourth of July fireworks show and it seemed like everyone was getting wasted. Went back a few years later when I was sober and noticed that a lot of people were just there enjoying the fireworks show. Don't know if things changed but I suspect it was my point of view that changed.