Those of us who were born before 1940  -   WE ARE THE SURVIVORS!

We were born before television, before penicillin, polio shots, frozen foods, Xerox, plastic, contact lenses, videos, Frisbees, and the Pill. We were born before radar, credit cards, split atoms, laser beams, and ball point pens, before dish washers, tumble driers, electric blankets, air conditioners, drip-dry clothes and before man walked on the moon.

We got married first and then lived together (how quaint can you be?) We thought fast food was what you ate in Lent, a “Big Mac” was an oversized raincoat, and “crumpet” we had for tea. We existed before house husbands, computer dating, dual careers, and when a meaningful relationship meant getting along with cousins, and sheltered accommodation was where you waited for a bus.

We were before day care centres, group homes, and disposable nappies. We never heard of FM radio, tape decks, electric type writers, artificial hearts, word processors, and young men wearing earrings. For us “time sharing” meant togetherness, a “chip” was a piece of wood or fried potato, “hardware” meant nuts and bolts and software wasn’t a word. Before 1940 “made in Japan” meant junk; the term “making out” referred to how you did in your exams; “stud” was something that fastened a collar to a shirt, and “going all the way meant staying on a double decker to the bus depot.

Pizza, MacDonalds and Instant coffee were unheard of. In our day, cigarette smoking was fashionable; “grass” was  mown, “coke” was kept in the coal house, a “joint” was a piece of meat for Sunday lunch, and “pot” was something you cooked in.

“Rock music” was a grandmother’s lullaby, “Eldorado” was an ice cream, a gay person was the life and soul of the party and nothing more, while AIDS just meant a beauty treatment or help for someone in trouble.

We who were around before 1940 must be a hardy bunch when you think of the way in which the world has changed and the adjustments we have had to make. No wonder we are so confused and there is a generation gap today. BUT   by the grace of God    we have survived!!

From the Parish newsletter