I'm remembering the first time I used a phone when I was nine or ten years old and thinking about kids today growing up with personal phones, quite the contrast. When I lived on my grandparents' farm in Washington state during World War II there was a crank phone that was rarely used, and never by me. When we arrived back in Coronado after the war my grandparents must not have had a phone since I remember them having one installed in their home. That is the first time I remember using a phone. I actually had a small problem the first time calling a friend. I got used to phones right away even though I rarely used the phone. The phone was in our grandparents' part of the house. We lived in a small apartment in the back part of their home in Coronado.
Then when I was a teenager we lived next door to our Coronado grandparents. We still used their phone as we did not have one yet. I don't think my parents got a phone until soon after I was married. Paul and I got our first phone just before he went into the Army nine months after we were married. I remember one time I had to walk a few blocks to Paul's parents in the evening when it was dark to use their phone. Paul had fallen down the basement steps and needed me to call the doctor. I did not do well walking alone after dark, but I did this for my new husband. The doctor said that if Paul was able to make it back up the steps, as he did, he should be fine. Paul may have been bruised and in pain, but he ended up being o.k. I had the walk in the dark with some big dogs barking at me and making me nervous, but I also survived the experience. I'm not such a scaredy cat now days.
Fast forward to today with so many people on their cell phones daily. We are used to seeing people walking down the street with hands free phones seeming to talk to themselves. We now know that they are not delusional as they are on their phone. When cell phones were new it seemed as if people were just showing off when they had their phones out in public, such as when they were on the bus and on their cell phone. Some people need to learn to keep their conversations private and not talk loud. Too much personal information is given out for the world to hear.
I remember in 1993 when my daughter's family moved from San Diego to Colorado with two cars they used walkie talkies to stay in touch with each other on the highway. I guess there were cell phones then but they were not widely used. It wasn't long before they all had their own cells. my grandchildren have been connected to all the latest conveniences most of their lives. Their dad works for their local cable company. He has always been up to date with all the latest gadgets, unlike our household. It was many years before we got cable and the internet. Laura always wanted to have the internet.
We rarely made long distance calls when I was young. We had to do it through the telephone operator. I never got to talk to my grandparents by phone as a child. I learned to write letters. Contrast that to today when I can pick up the phone and call my grandchildren any time I want to. When Paul was in the Army I only talked to him one time long distance. That was just before he was leaving for sixteen months in Korea. No phone calls, no internet for us all the time he was so far away. I wrote letters every day. He would get a bunch at once after much delay. The same thing at this end. I would get a bunch after much delay.
We are so spoiled with all of our conveniences now days. Josie grew up with no running water or electricity where she lived in the Philippines. She would not want to go back to that. She appreciates our modern lifestyle. I write her a letter and she picks up the phone and thanks me. I appreciate the phone call.
Cameras are another thing that have changed a lot. I mostly use the little one use cameras now so don't have immediate access to the pictures I take. When I was taking some pictures of the children I taught in Sunday school they wanted to see the pictures right then. I hated to disappoint them. I have been using my son's digital camera this week so I am progressing to the modern way. We have a little digital camera but I have not mastered it yet. Laura uses it.
It is amazing that I do anything on the computer. I was hesitant to begin, but I have a teacher in my daughter. She pushed me to learn and still needs to help me at times. I don't use it for much besides Facebook, Email and my Blog. That is enough for me. We still don't have a cell phone so I am attached to the wall when on the phone. I guess I am attached to the old ways.
The first time I remember seeing TV was when I was twelve or thirteen. The first TV my sisters and I saw was next door to my aunt and uncle in L.A. It was a little black and white screen in a larger cabinet. My parents got their first T.V. during my early teenage years. They got the biggest and best they could possibly afford. So I was used to a television in the house during my teens. We were not T.V. addicts though. We had other things to do. Most baby sitting jobs I had did not have television so there was not that distraction. I did my homework after the children were in bed. If no homework I learned to take my own reading.
Paul's family didn't have television till sometime after we were married. Paul was not used to T.V. and did not want it in our house. So we did not have it in our house. Basically our children grew up without television. They got to see special programs at their grandparents' house. They missed some historical events such as the landing on the moon. They would have enjoyed and benefited from seeing this. They benefited from reading and other enjoyable activities. When we finally got a T.V. I liked it too much. We have had times over the years with no television and then times with it. We adjusted either way. We have one now and I doubt I will be without one again. Even Paul enjoys it. Actually he may like it more than me. And he was the one that said no T.V.
Times change and we adjust to this change. One thing that never changes is our Lord. He is the same yesterday, today and forever. We would not want Him to be any other way. Praise the Lord.
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