The other day my daughter came across a box of slides that my dad had from our childhood. She was absolutely giddy with excitement as she held one up the window and “discovered” the negative that captured me as a child. At age 14 she had never seen a slide before and as a child raised with digital cameras and smart phones just an arms length away she didn’t even have much exposure (pun intended) to negatives before.
Her joy over something as mundane as a slide turned into sheer exuberance as I set up the slide projector and clicked through one slide after another. What I remember as sheer torture sitting through a slide show of days gone by, she found to be utterly fascinating.
It made me think about other items and experiences that I grew up with that she would have no knowledge, as well as items that came into existence after my childhood but were practically obsolete by the time she was born.
The VCR
When I grew up in the 60s there were four TV channels: ABC, NBC, CBS and PBS. There were no cable channels and VCRs did not exist. By the time my daughter was watching Sesame Street, The Wiggles and Barney, VCRs were almost a thing of the past as DVD players had taken over.
An Analogue Radio
We do not have a radio in our house, but both of my children told me that they have seen them in pictures before. Never up-close and personal, however.
Address Book/Telephone Directory
While I still keep an address book where I handwrite my family and friends' address and telephone numbers, these too seem to have gone by the wayside. Apparently everyone else stores this information in their smart phone these days.
An Alarm Clock
Two weeks ago, my 17 year old daughter went off to tech camp. Ironically, she was not allow to bring anything techie. So her phone had to stay at home. Among other things, she wondered how she would be able to wake herself up in the morning. At that moment, she was introduced, for the first time, to an old-fashioned alarm clock.
These you can still buy, although it seems that most people I talk to set their phone to wake them up now.
Communication
Pager
In 1991 I had a job in IT and I carried a pager. How I hated that pager. Although I am no longer in IT, I believe that pagers have gone the way of the VCR, as cell phones have become commonplace.
Typewriter
When I went to college in the early 80's, I felt grateful that I had an electric typewriter to use to type up my reports. The electric typewriter was easier to type on and it came with "auto correct" -- with just a push of a button it would backspace and automatically "white out" the error with corrective tape. No need for liquid white out.
As I transitioned from one job to the next, I could find a typewriter on most secretaries' desks. Even as computers came into play, many still used their typewriters when triplicate forms needed to be filled out, or to type up envelopes if they hadn't yet learned how to print labels from their computer.
I haven't seen a typewriter in an office setting for, perhaps, a decade now.
Rotary Telephones
I actually still own a rotary telephone. Although I no longer use it, I hate to throw it out. This seems like a good item to donate to our local theatre group.
Phone Booths
It was only recently that I noticed that our town no longer had phone booths. The last time I used one was 1991, when my pager went off and I had to call the office. I don't know when they were taken out, but I wonder if anyone misses them.
Data Storage
Floppy Disks
Floppy disks and zip drives have also seen their last days. While cleaning out this month I found a box of both.
Disposable Cameras/35mm film
My children have seen disposable cameras. They each had one when they were younger and loved the idea of not being able to immediately see what they had taken a picture of. A friend of mine told me that she recently found an old role of 35mm film and had a hard time finding a place that would develop it for her. I used my 35mm camera up until about 2004 when I bought my first digital camera. Between using that and my smart phone, my children have never had the opportunity to see a roll of 35mm film.
Encyclopedias
I'm sure that encyclopedias still exist in libraries, but I remember having a set growing up. It was our main go-to when doing research in grade school.
Music
Record Player
The record player might be the only item on this list that is making a comeback. I know a lot of people who collect old records and still use their turntable.
Boom Boxes and The Walkman
I found my original walkman which was about the size of a brick. My kids had a good laugh when I clipped it onto my belt and walked around the house.
Experiences
Being Stranded
In the late 1990s I was an hour and a half late for a meeting because I was caught behind an accident on the way to work. It was before cell phones were common. I did not own my first cell phone until 2004, so I could not call to let them know why I was not at the meeting. For most, this would be unheard of now.
Drive-In Movie Theaters
Growing up, we went to see a movie at the drive-in every Saturday night during the summer. It was a festive family time together. Now there is one drive-in theater in our area and it is more than an hour away. My children have been to the drive-in twice so far in their lifetime and they are in their teens.
Reading a road map
I wonder how many people under the age of 30 know how to read a road map? With the invent of the GPS this skill just might be getting lost. Never knowing when it just might come in handy, and with one child driving and another ready to learn in a couple of years, I taught my girls how to navigate using a paper map this past year.
Making Mixed Tapes
Did every teen in the 80s make a mixed tape for their sweetheart? It makes me sad to think that this is something my kids won't experience.
Bob Barker on the Price is Right, Mr. Ed, and The Jetsons
My daughter came home from school one day last year and told me a story about Mr. Ed, the bus driver. "Your bus driver's name is Mr. Ed?" I asked. "Yes, why?" she replied. I told her to go Google "Mr. Ed." I guess it's good that some of our memories are not theirs. It always takes me by surprise when I reference something that I just assume everyone knows about, like Bob Barker or the Jetsons. But I guess they are as equally surprised when they mention the latest YouTube star that I have never heard of before.
Calling for the Time and Temperature
I remember calling often to find out the time and temperature. For how often I called, one would think I'd remember the number. But I don't. Now there is no need to call. Makes me wonder if there still is a number one can call to get that information.
Emergency Call Through
When I was in high school I used to talk on the phone non-stop. Those were the days before caller ID and call-waiting. One evening, well into the second hour of conversation, the operator broke into the call stating that someone was trying to get through with an emergency. Do they still do that?
Busy Signal
Likewise, is there such a thing as a busy signal anymore? It used to be that when you called someone and they were on the line talking to someone else, there would be a buzz - buzz - buzz sound that indicated that they were on the phone. At that point you would hang up and try again later. I have not had a landline in years -- perhaps they are the next item to become obsolete? -- so I don't know if call waiting is now a part of every calling package or if some lines still ring busy.
If you can think of other items and experiences that have become or are becoming a thing of the past, please share. It is fun to recall pieces of the past that have simply disappeared.