<p>Yay manual transmission! I have never owned anything but–and that goes back to a 1960 Rambler American (my grandfather’s car). And my son, I am proud to say, passed his drivers test in the stick shift Honda Civic–our kids will thank us someday, won’t they?</p>
<p>But one person’s recall of the riots in the 60’s, made me remember this rather unpleasant memory–I grew up fairly far out in the NJ suburbs, and had a cello teacher who came to our house for my lessons (not a big deal, I have no memory as to why that was the arrangement, we were not that kind of family). He went all over suburban NJ, and told us stories about how many people were buying themselves guns, to defend themselves against the rioters (who were perceived to be rapidly approaching Madison, NJ, or somesuch!!). I have even heard stories of a local (New England) prep school, located a few LONG miles from a downtown that was restless in the early 70’s, calling in the police or national guard or someone armed, to protect its students from the danger brewing. </p>
<p>It IS interesting to have lived history. (And when my son thought even a daisy-wheel typewriter was so interesting, my goodness!)</p>
<p>My DDs were astonished when I showed them my “dog tag” from elementary school in the 60s. (Even included religion!!) “Duck and cover drills” on a regular basis. We ran home from school several times a year to test the evacuation prodedure. Neighbors moved even farther out in the country to build bomb shelters. </p>
<p>Prayer with the saltines and little bottles of milk.</p>
<p>The Dictaphone with the big peddles in my basement.</p>
<p>Oh, the duck and cover bit! How could I forget to mention that? We were herded into the gymnasium one day during the Cuban Missile Crisis, where we all sat along the walls with our heads between our knees. Even then, as an elementary school student, it seemed like a really lame way to avoid nuclear missiles.</p>
<p>H and I were entertaining our kids with stories about these drills rather recently. I really did have nuclear extermination nightmares for many years.</p>
<p>LOL. Sounds like some of you need to clean out your basements and attics. There’s money to be made on e-bay.</p>
<p>Speaking of the sixties, I was telling someone about all the violence of 1968 and how it affected me. When you see national leaders getting assassinated regularly and you’re six years old, it distorts your view of how safe a place the U.S. is. I think it’s why a lot of other black people my age fear Obama will be killed. It happened during our formative years, and we’ll never forget it.</p>
<p>I kept the first TV I ever bought as an adult: a Zenith from 1973, the kind that sits up on those little legs. It still works. My H insists I get rid of it, and I keep telling him I’m keeping it for when the Smithsonian needs it.</p>
<p>My H & I were just recently talking about the possibility of Obama being assassinated. I suppose it is related to having lived through that sort of thing. In junior high, we were sent home early many times due to racial unrest at the high school. I can even remember hearing gun shots at night less than a mile away during the height of the racial tensions (and we did not live in an area where that ever happened normally).</p>
<p>My former brother in law saw the Kent State massacre as it happened.</p>
<p>The one that really gets my kids is our public junior high’s lunch setup. We had two separate lunchrooms, one for those who bought & one for those who brought. The assistant principal stood at the door & looked into everyone’s lunchbag to see what they brought. Those who did not bring a nutritious lunch were reprimanded … if it kept occurring, parents were called … and if that didn’t help, the school helped them get free lunch (not sure if there was federal free lunch program back then; don’t think there was). I just can’t imagine that today.</p>
<p>Another thing that happened when I was in junior high that would never happen today: Our assistant principal carried a paddle with him … and used it. Again, public school.</p>
<p>I remember getting an electric typewriter that had a ribbon cartridge you stuck in the side–you could take it out and put in a correction cartridge.</p>
<p>The first time I felt old was 25 years ago when a college intern at work said, “Oh, the Beatles? We studied them in music theory!”.</p>
<p>More recently was when Mia Farrow and Woody Allen were breaking up and I made a reference to when she was married to Frank Sinatra and no one believed me.</p>
<p>One of my first summer jobs was punching Fortran cards - we lived in East Lansing and my mom had connections in the Engineering department since she taught there.</p>