I guess we were ahead of our time but just did not know it

**Big Shed** · 12th August 2011, 02:02 PM

I guess we were ahead of our time but just did not know it..........mmmm.

In the line at the store, the cashier told an older woman that she should bring her own grocery bags because plastic bags weren't good for the environment.

The woman apologized to her and explained, "We didn't have the green thing back in my day."

The clerk responded, "That's our problem today. Your generation did not care enough to save our environment."

She was right -- our generation didn't have the green thing in its day.

Back then, we returned milk bottles, soda bottles and beer bottles to the store. The store sent them back to the plant to be washed and
sterilized and refilled, so it could use the same bottles over and over. So they really were recycled.

But we didn't have the green thing back in our day.

We walked up stairs, because we didn't have an escalator in every store and office building. We walked to the grocery store and didn't
climb into a 300-horsepower machine every time we had to go two blocks.

But she was right. We didn't have the green thing in our day.

Back then, we washed the baby's diapers because we didn't have the throw-away kind. We dried clothes on a line, not in an energy
gobbling machine burning up 220 volts -- wind and solar power really did dry the clothes. Kids got hand-me-down clothes from their
brothers or sisters, not always brand-new clothing.

But that old lady is right; we didn't have the green thing back in our day.

Back then, we had one TV, or radio, in the house -- not a TV in every room. And the TV had a small screen the size of a handkerchief (remember them?), not a screen the size of the state of Montana.

In the kitchen, we blended and stirred by hand because we didn't have electric machines to do everything for us.

When we packaged a fragile item to send in the mail, we used a wadded up old newspaper to cushion it, not Styrofoam or plastic bubble wrap.

Back then, we didn't fire up an engine and burn gasoline just to cut the lawn. We used a push mower that ran on human power. We exercised by working so we didn't need to go to a health club to run on treadmills that operate on electricity.

But she's right; we didn't have the green thing back then.

We drank from a fountain when we were thirsty instead of using a cup or a plastic bottle every time we had a drink of water.

We refilled writing pens with ink instead of buying a new pen, and we replaced the razor blades in a razor instead of throwing away the whole razor just because the blade got dull.

But we didn't have the green thing back then.

Back then, people took the streetcar or a bus and kids rode their bikes to school or walked instead of turning their moms into a 24-hour taxi service.

We had one electrical outlet in a room, not an entire bank of sockets to power a dozen appliances. And we didn't need a computerized gadget to receive a signal beamed from satellites 2,000 miles out in space in order to find the nearest pizza joint.

But isn't it sad the current generation laments how wasteful we old folks were just because we didn't have the green thing back then?

**RedShirtGuy** · 12th August 2011, 02:22 PM

Love it.

**damian** · 12th August 2011, 02:26 PM

Originally Posted by Big Shed

Back then, we washed the baby's diapers because we didn't have the throw-away kind.

There is an argument that throw away nappies are actually no worse enviromentally than cloth, but your list misses the most obvious error.

In the "old days" we either got a second hand carboard box or a PAPER bag to carry our groceries home in. Quite often the box got used a third time for whatever miscelaneous purpose (storing half full lead paint cans, DDT and copper arsenate) and the bags broke down quick smart into either ash in the fire or compost.

I think it's part of the job description that every generation of kids has to horrify the generation that went before, often by risky behaviour but sometimes also by blinding ignorance and arrogance. As they say the older you get the less you know...

Very amusing...

**mic-d** · 12th August 2011, 02:37 PM

Isn't that the truth, although in truth much of it applied to the generation or two before mine.

I have two good things to say about Bunnings. One is they give you recycled cardboard boxes for your purchases.

**sjm** · 12th August 2011, 02:52 PM

Originally Posted by damian

...
I think it's part of the job description that every generation of kids has to horrify the generation that went before, often by risky behaviour ...

You mean something like pressing the send button before pressing the spell-check button? The riskiest things kids do these days is leave the house without updating their facebook status. More than 80% of kids have never climbed a tree. It's not amusing, it is very sad.

**robbygard** · 12th August 2011, 02:53 PM

Originally Posted by damian

In the "old days" we either got a second hand carboard box or a PAPER bag to carry our groceries home in. Quite often the box got used a third time for whatever miscelaneous purpose (storing half full lead paint cans, DDT and copper arsenate) and the bags broke down quick smart into either ash in the fire or compost.

Very amusing...

and string bags ... didn't anyone else use those?

regards david

**RedShirtGuy** · 12th August 2011, 04:21 PM

In the old days, the kid would have got a smack in the chops for being disrespectful too

**Big Shed** · 12th August 2011, 04:22 PM

Originally Posted by damian

In the "old days" we either got a second hand carboard box or a PAPER bag to carry our groceries home in. Quite often the box got used a third time for whatever miscelaneous purpose (storing half full lead paint cans, DDT and copper arsenate) and the bags broke down quick smart into either ash in the fire or compost.

Hope you took the copper arsenate out first

All jokes aside, that was sent to me by my son (40) and he could see that "my" generation wasn't all bad, although we were pretty ignorant on some things.

That reminds me, was surprised that Green wasn't listed under the official religions on the last census.

**Mulgabill** · 12th August 2011, 05:15 PM

Originally Posted by Big Shed

....That reminds me, was surprised that Green wasn't listed under the official religions on the last census.

Oh Fred!! Try question 19. "Other-Please specify"

**Big Shed** · 12th August 2011, 05:17 PM

Originally Posted by Mulgabill

Oh Fred!! Try question 19. "Other-Please specify"

Nah, not the same, you could put anything yhere, even Jedi Knight

**Sturdee** · 12th August 2011, 05:29 PM

Originally Posted by Big Shed

Nah, not the same, you could put anything yhere, even Jedi Knight

Or the "Anti Carbon Tax Church" like I did.

Peter.

**Big Shed** · 12th August 2011, 05:46 PM

Originally Posted by Sturdee

Or the "Anti Carbon Tax Church" like I did.

Peter.

That has a nice ring to it Peter, ACT Church

, love it

**bluegum30** · 12th August 2011, 07:04 PM

What the go with no envelope to put the censis form in ,do they supply one when they pick it up ,cause there is stuff in there that is private.???

**Big Shed** · 12th August 2011, 07:08 PM

Originally Posted by bluegum30

What the go with no envelope to put the censis form in ,do they supply one when they pick it up ,cause there is stuff in there that is private.???

You can request one when they pick it up.

Even more private to do it on-line, it was a breeze.

**Mulgabill** · 12th August 2011, 07:30 PM

Originally Posted by Big Shed

You can request one when they pick it up.

Even more private to do it on-line, it was a breeze.

Online! easy peasy

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