I CAN RELATE TO THE OLD TIMES.
Checking out at the store, the young cashier suggested to the much older lady that she should bring her own grocery bags, because plastic bags are not good for the environment.
The woman apologized to the young girl and explained, “We didn’t have this ‘green thing’ back in my earlier days.”
The young clerk responded, “That’s our problem today. Your generation did not care enough to save our environment for future generations.”
The older lady said that she was right — our generation didn’t have the “green thing” in its day. The older lady went on to explain:
Back then, we returned 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 we didn’t have the “green thing” back in our day.
Grocery stores bagged our groceries in brown paper bags that we reused for numerous things. Most memorable besides household garbage bags was the use of brown paper bags as book covers for our school books. This was to ensure that public property (the books provided for our use by the school) was not defaced by our scribblings. Then we were able to personalize our books on the brown paper bags. But, too bad we didn’t do the “green thing” back then.
We walked up stairs because we didn’t have an escalator in every store and office building. We walked to the grocery store and didn’t climb into a 300-horsepower machine every time we had to go two blocks.
But she was right. We didn’t have the “green thing” in our day.
Back then we washed the baby’s diapers because we didn’t have the throw away kind. We dried clothes on a line, not in an energy-gobbling machine burning up 220 volts. Wind and solar power really did dry our clothes back in our early days. Kids got hand-me-down clothes from their brothers or sisters, not always brand-new clothing.
But that young lady is right; we didn’t have the “green thing” back in our day.
Back then we 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 (remember them?), not a screen the size of the state of Montana. In the kitchen we blended and stirred by hand because we didn’t have electric machines to do everything for us. When we packaged a fragile item to send in the mail, we used wadded up old newspapers to cushion it, not Styrofoam or plastic bubble wrap. Back then, we didn’t fire up an engine and burn gasoline just to cut the lawn. We used a push mower that ran on human power. We exercised by working so we didn’t need to go to a health club to run on treadmills that operate on electricity.
But she’s right; we didn’t have the “green thing” back then.
We drank from a fountain when we were thirsty instead of using a cup or a plastic bottle every time we had a drink of water. We refilled writing pens with ink instead of buying a new pen, and we replaced the razor blade in a r azor instead of throwing away the whole razor just because the blade got dull.
But we 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 walked instead of turning their moms into a 24-hour taxi service in the family’s $45,000 SUV or van, which cost what a whole house did before the”green thing.” We had one electrical outlet in a room, not an entire bank of sockets to power a dozen appliances. And we didn’t need a computerized gadget to receive a signal beamed from satellites 23,000 miles out in space in order to find the nearest burger joint.
But isn’t it sad the current generation laments how wasteful we old folks were just because we didn’t have the “green thing” back then?
Recommend0 recommendationsPublished in Senior Chatters
So very true, Tania — – we take so much for granted the ‘conveniences’ we now have — but do not consider
the long-term effects…..think we are all guilty of this – because we have learned to have these
‘neccessities’!!
My big gripe is all the ‘unwanted’ paper that comes through my mail box each day — most from sources I#
have never dealt with — the postman has to cart it around and deliver – then I have to dispose of it in the
appropriate recycle box – so the bin men can cart it back to who knows where – to do who knos what!
Good post.
Thank you , goldengirl 1224, we have far too much waste these days.
This is a good one Tania. Goldengirl, I have a small stick on sign on my letterbox I got from the hardware store that says “no junk mail”. Such a relief not to have mailbox filled with junk mail now.
Must look into that GM – I absolutely hate hearing the mail drop through the door – most straight
to the ‘recycle’ bin!!
Great sign, grandmaj, Thank you
Hi Tania someone has to take the blame, blame the supermarkets for keep supplying the bags, blame the suppliers for all the useless wrapping totally unneeded, I wont be buying any more, Asda just increased their bags to 15p
I got told today that Asda are stopping some bags? Thank you Starlette
We surely live in times of change – why our local grocery store uses brown paper bags now – whatever next!
The paper bags were always best, Drummer, Thank you
not only that Goldeng, its a sure sign you are on holidays for criminals if you have a letter box full of junk mail
Very True , grandmaj