A generation ago, kids would walk or bicycle to school on their own, without helicopter parents accompanying them.
Still happens many places.
“A generation ago, kids would walk or bicycle to school on their own, without helicopter parents accompanying them.”
I never walked or biked to school ever. We lived about 2 miles from our suburban grade schools which sat across 2 major intersections. No one in our area did anything but take the bus. No one. Kids who lived near the school walked and when vising my mom I saw that they still do so today.
I do know about the Farmer’s Almanac (didn’t realize it is not common knowledge). However I never used it, not even in the days before we had terrific weather prediction on TV, apps etc .
But did you walk to the bus stop on your own?
My daughter walked or biked to school from
4th -12th grade. She went to private school until 4th grade; it was in another town, so we carpooled.
“But did you walk to the bus stop on your own?”
The bus stopped right outside my house. We’d dash outside when we heard it coming
The Farmers Almanac taught me such things such as to put salt in the rinse water when it was
dead of winter and I had no dryer. Jeans would not freeze that way.
I was busy having a duel life of being a professional and a hippie all at one time.
Had to wear my blue eye shadow but also had to live on a farm without a phone and worked 25 miles
away at a University.
It was a rich history as it turns out.
Also cooked a field mouse inadvertently as it crawled into the insulation and I turned the stove on to cook
a vegan casserole. The stove had to be tossed. Another experience my D and S never had and are not
jealous of at all.
^^^^Ewwwwwww . . .
I hope mine never hitchhiked.
I think of all the skills my grandparents had that I cannot do. They could butcher a hog and smoke it. They could pluck poultry, make sauerkraut, apple butter, butter, cheese, and preserve fruit and vegetables. Without grocery stores I would starve.
“I think of all the skills my grandparents had that I cannot do. They could butcher a hog and smoke it. They could pluck poultry, make sauerkraut, apple butter, butter, cheese, and preserve fruit and vegetables. Without grocery stores I would starve”
My grandparents (dr and teacher) couldn’t do any of those things. My great grandparents ( jeweler and bookkeeper) couldn’t do any of those things. No grocery stores. No one starved.
My husband used to collect old phones as a hobby, so we happen to own a 1930s wooden phone booth. a 60s style pay phone, several wall crank phones and a candlestick phone. He had them all wired up to our landline, and when kids came over, they loved talking on these antiques. When a call came in, all hell broke loose, though, because the whole house was ringing. It was lots of fun. But now we’ve gotten rid of our landline, so things are quieter. And we’d love to get rid of the phone booth. My kids know a lot about old timey crafts and things, but DS still asks about addressing an envelope.
^Lovely imagery! All those interesting phones ringing!
@HotCanary, I wonder if a museum and/or your local phone company would be interested in the phone collection, including the phone booth? The children’s museums in particular.