For this week Linda asked several questions about new inventions and technology that affected our lives growing up. Click her icon, right, if you want to read others or participate in this with a blog post of your own.Linda's questions and then my answers: (you will note that some of these I did not answer as they did not apply to my family situation--they may apply to you)
What new inventions or technology came out when you were growing up that you remember being amazed at?
Two that come quickly to my mind are TV and automatic transmissions.
Were your parents "early adopters"--did they get the "latest and greatest" pretty quickly or did they stick with the "tried and true"?
My parents were poor; Dad share cropped from Grandpa on halves. It was a good thing that Grandpa was a very generous man as he helped us in many ways.
The answer to the question is NO. Mostly because we were too poor. Besides we could go to Grandpa and Grandma's to watch TV. And we had a perfectly good radio.
What are some things that you remember being a big deal when your family got them? (These may be items like stereos or kitchen equipment or bigger things such as carpet.)
It was a new kitchen electric cooking stove Dad ordered for Mom from the Sears catalog. This stove even had a 'deep cooker' which operated much like a crock pot.
My sister and I had a bicycle, one girl's for us to share, at an early age. Dad ordered it fromthe Sears catalog too.
My cousins had record players but we didn't. We enjoyed listening to records with the cousins at various times.
Were your folks prone to updating their furniture periodically or did they keep their old furniture forever?
Mom and Dad took very good care of their furniture and would keep the living room looking especially nice for company.
How was the way they were raised impact the way you were raised? And how did your upbringing influence the way you are today?
In my adult life I suppose I would be classified as being somewhat tight with my spending.
In our married life Mrs. Jim and I have never bought a new car. Every car we have had was previously owned. Most of the time we purchased from an older lady who had put very few miles on their cars.
We watch the ads for grocery bargains, buy used items, keep our personal property in good shape, and in general spend wisely.
Our travel budget is fairly large as we enjoy splurging going to places we have never seen before. When our money is gone, soon perhaps with the economy as it is and us on a fixed income, we are sure that the kids will pass the hat to keep us from starving or living on the streets. That or take us in.
Ah, the Sears catalog! I always loved it when the new one arrived. And the annual Christmas Wish Book! There's just nothing like that anymore. The internet has spoiled us.
ReplyDeleteI'm sure your kids are heartened. Do you come with an electric stove?
ReplyDeleteRemember that great radio Dad had, all those different bands? Weren't supposed to touch it, but you were good at remembering where it was set! And Mom's sewing machine was state-of-the-art for those times (as was that electric stove). You left home too soon. Dad had too many radios to count, an 8-track & cassette player & three TV's in town. He bought his cars new, but he did drive them a long time.
ReplyDeleteMy parents were the very same way. They went through the depression and they never forgot. My father was a great influence concerning money matters. My sister and I followed his teachings. The instant gratification just hasn't been in our vocabulary. I'm happy about that.
ReplyDeleteHave a terrific day. Big hug. :)
Automatic transmissions, huh? Never even thought about that as an invention to be excited about--but now that you mention it, it is pretty spectacular, isn't it?
ReplyDeleteThanks for your nice comments at bekahcubed. I'd never really driven much on Highway 30 until I moved up here to Columbus--before that, I did most of my in-state traveling North-South rather than East-West. But it is a nice road for commuting on. It's fast enough to get from place to place in a timely manner--but with more "scope for the imagination" than I-80 (that barren wasteland of flat nothingness!)
I'll bet that was something when the automatic transmission came out!
ReplyDeleteI remember when LOTS of our things came from the Sears catalog--sadly this is no longer the case. We still swear by their lawn mowers and washing machines though.
Thank you for the link to the Houston ice rink. I'm fascinated that there would be people in Texas interested in skating!
ReplyDeleteWe're with you on the no-new-car policy. Auctions have served us well. And, of course, we drive our cars forever and fix them over and over. Thankfully the hubby, and sons, are good at fixing things.
ReplyDelete