A Friend's Thoughts on his Birthday

My dear friend wrote this letter to his children on his 60th birthday. He gave me permission to share with you on this blog I will point out that he is way older than me.

28 June, 2000

I took a few minutes today to reflect back over the years. This being the occasion of my sixtieth birthday, it seems like a good time. I made some notes about the changes that I have seen and thought that I would pass them along to you, my children.

These are not mine alone, as I have seen most of them put down on paper before in one fashion or another, but they are inclusive in my lifetime and so I can claim them all with equal legitimacy.

I claim to pre-date things like polio vaccine, penicillin, frozen food and pizza. Television was a faint glow in a tiny tube in a remote lab somewhere and credit cards wouldn't be thought of for twenty-five years.

There were still ink-wells in the school-room desks and blackboards were actual slate. You had to refill your ink pen as the ballpoint wasn't even a thought yet. There were no Frisbees, Hula-hoops, radar, computers, calculators, or modems; no contact lenses, laser beams or pacemakers.

Air conditioners hadn't been invented yet nor had dishwashers and pantyhose. Contact lenses were way in the future somewhere along with tampons. Power steering, power brakes and tubeless tires didn't exist and gasoline was 12 cents a gallon.

I grew up calling anyone over twenty "Sir" or "Mam" and holding a chair or opening doors for ladies was considered 'good manners' not a slight on their standing in the ubiquitous world of Feminism.

Most families had a Mother and a Father. It was expected. And, they usually got married and then had children. That was expected too.

Most every boy I knew had a rifle or shotgun of his own by the age of 14 and knew how to use it, take care of it, and respect it. There were no day care centers or old age homes. Families took care of their-own.

We had no group therapy or consciousness raising, and I seriously doubt if you could make a living anywhere as a psychologist. Our lives revolved around and were guided by the Ten Commandments, our own good judgement, common sense and help from our Parents. We were taught the difference between right and wrong and were expected to accept the responsibility for our own actions.

Twenty-five cents bought admission to a Saturday afternoon movie, popcorn and a Coke. If you were really lucky, you got to sit in the front two rows with your friends. Acid was something found in car batteries and

Chemistry sets. Pot was something you cooked in and a 'trip' was usually to visit friends and family out of town. Coke came in a bottle and you mowed grass.

We listened to the 'Big Bands' and The Lone Ranger, Jack Benny and The Creaking Door on the radio. We played 78 RPM records of Peter and the Wolf, and Scheherazade right along with Roy Rogers and Mario Lanza and we never once had to shout at each other to be heard over the music.

McDonald's and instant tea didn't exist and there were actually 5 & 10 cents stores with things you could buy for a nickel or a dime. "Making Out" referred to how you were getting along. An ice cream cone cost a nickel and a stamp was only 2 cents.

There weren't things like CDs, tape players, Walk-mans, DVDs, or even stereos. FM radio wasn't around either. And "Aids" were usually helping out the Principle or Librarian. Anything "Made in Japan" was usually Junk.

Serving your Country in the military or any other capacity was an honor and a duty. Being an American was the greatest pride of all. Presidents didn't lie that we were aware of and certainly would have had the decency to resign in disgrace if they had been caught at it. No one would have ever thought of spitting on or burning the American Flag.

I was before Gay-Rights, Women's-Rights, Animal-Rights and you came out of the closet when you got your clothes. Hardware you got in a hardware store and software wasn't even a word. We knew a lot about sex, but not a lot about Billy having two Mommies, single parent adoptions, abortions and sex change operations. God wasn't dead.

And, I guess, we were the last generation to feel like it's not so dumb a thing to think that Fathers were more than sperm donors.

I hear tell there is a Generation Gap. Maybe I'm just getting old and have outdated values. It’s no wonder.

I love you both. "Live long and prosper".

Dad