How Old Is Grandpa

Hi to all - I was sent the below as an email and I just had to share it with you all. This is amazing when we read this and see what man has invented and become in only a few short years. Enjoy

How Old is Grandpa?
How old is Grandpa???

1951 Ford pickup

Stay with this -- the answer is at the end. It will blow you away.

One evening a grandson was talking to his grandfather about current events.

The grandson asked his grandfather what he thought about the shootings at schools, the computer age, and just things in general.

The Grandfather replied, 'Well, let me think a minute, I was born before:

' television
' penicillin
' polio shots
' frozen foods
' Xerox
' contact lenses
' Frisbees and
' the pill

There were no:

'credit cards
' laser beams or
' ball-point pens

Man had not invented:

'panty hose
' air conditioners
' dishwashers
' clothes dryers
' and the clothes were hung out to dry in the fresh air and
' man hadn't yet walked on the moon

1951 A Streetcar Named Desire

Your Grandmother and I got married first, . . . and then lived together.

Every family had a father and a mother.

Until I was 25, I called every man older than me, 'Sir'.

And after I turned 25, I still called policemen and every man with a title, 'Sir.'

We were before gay-rights, computer- dating, dual careers, day-care centers, and group therapy.

Our lives were governed by the Ten Commandments, good judgment, and common sense..

We were taught to know the difference between right and wrong and to stand up and take responsibility for our actions.

Serving your country was a privilege; living in this country was a bigger privilege.

We thought fast food was what people ate during Lent.

Having a meaningful relationship meant getting along with your cousins.

Draft dodgers were people who closed their front doors when the evening breeze started.

Time-sharing meant time the family spent together in the evenings and weekends-not purchasing condominiums.

We never heard of FM radios, tape decks, CDs, electric typewriters, yogurt, or guys wearing earrings.

We listened to the Big Bands, Jack Benny, and the President's speeches on our radios.

And I don't ever remember any kid blowing his brains out listening to Tommy Dorsey.

If you saw anything with 'Made in Japan ' on it, it was junk

The term 'making out' referred to how you did on your school exam.

Pizza Hut, McDonald's, and instant coffee were unheard of.

We had 5 &10-cent stores where you could actually buy things for 5 and 10 cents.

Ice-cream cones, phone calls, rides on a streetcar, and a Pepsi were all a nickel.

And if you didn't want to splurge, you could spend your nickel on enough stamps to mail 1 letter and 2 postcards.

You could buy a new Chevy Coupe for $600, . . but who could afford one?

Too bad, because gas was 11 cents a gallon.

1951 American Girl

In my day:

' 'grass' was mowed,
' 'coke' was a cold drink,
' 'pot' was something your mother cooked in and
' 'rock music' was your grandmother's lullaby.
' 'Aids' were helpers in the Principal's office,
' 'chip' meant a piece of wood,
' 'hardware' was found in a hardware store and
' 'software' wasn't even a word.

And we were the last generation to actually believe that a lady needed a husband to have a baby. No wonder people call us 'old and confused' and say there is a generation gap... and how old do you think I am?

I bet you have this old man in mind... you are in for a shock!

Read on to see -- pretty scary if you think about it and pretty sad at the same time..

Are you ready ?????

1951 Vogue Cover

This man would be only 59 years old.

That means Grandpa was born in 1951. FOR REAL.

I don't want to go down without a fight.

I have just finished reading a book by Mark Lynas called Six Degrees. I have read one of his other books as well called High Tide. I have put a few links here for an article about Mark in National Geographic as well as links to his write up about his books.

Mark Lynas Books
National Geographic - Mark Lynas

Then immediately after reading this book I finally got the DVD "The Road" out and watched it. Again I posted a link with regard to this movie below. I cannot write a better review that explains this movie any better and wouldn't even try.

The Road Review by Mark Lynas

Now I have had a week to compose myself and my thoughts I would like to share these things with you. I am hoping that you will take the time to investigate these and formulate your own opinion. When I finally read Six Degrees I was floored. I have read many other books on climate change but this one simply got to me. It just bought home to me that humans are similar to a frog put in a pot of water and that water is slowly bought to the boil. The frog doesn't hop out of the pan. We are told daily and we can see daily the things happening to our world either with regard to climate change and also all of the other things we as humans are doing to deplete our world of it's wondeful resources and basically wreck everything we seem to touch. We can see this happening but as such it just seems to be going on and on and not a lot seems to change. It scares me.

Then I watched The Road (watch the extras as well as they are so interesting with regard to the author and his writing and how the movie was made). Now I knew it was going to be heavy. I knew that. But THUMP. It just kicked me in the guts and stopped me in my tracks. Now I know this is just one take on how humans will behave in bad times but I would say that it is a pretty accurate account on what some people would be like. We see this type of human nature all the time after and during natural disasters. It scares me.

So for a few days I put away the books and didn't do much except what makes me feel calmer and more earthed. I made pickles and chutneys and preserves and cooked. Then when I felt ready to think I was led to read other blogs and websites. I have found so many like minded people doing there own thing and trying to make changes - some small time others huge but as discussed in the link I posted yesterday there is a revolution happening. I truly believe that we need more and more and more  and more ..... people to stop burying their heads in the sand and revolt. Just simply revolt against whatever you can and add one thing a day or a week. Lead by example and at least try. I don't want to go down without a fight.

Take a look at the book Blessed Unrest by Paul Hawken. I have written about him before on a previous post. There is unrest. It screams to me from one blog after another and one website and book after another.

I can't believe how ignorant I have been. I knew in my heart different things but it all seems to be gelling together for me. I feel helpless and at the same time hopefull. I feel discouraged but at the same time encouraged. I just know that I believe that things cannot stay the same forever. Whether this be through the earths distruction and climate change or through economic collapse.Things will change and the debate of how quickly is really of no use when the time span is anywhere from 30 to 80 years. The end of the century. In the scheme of things in this world that is truly a blink of the eyes. We blinked and we missed it. I am not trying to be a downer but all the gushing nice things we write about is fine but we have to see the other side of the coin as well. I am not a scientist or anyone other thatn a simply human living on this Earth with family and especially Grand Children who I worry about. I find for the first time in my life I am truly thinking about alternative ways of how society will look as I age and my children and grand children move through this life. I am thinking of how I will survive and how can I prepare. WOW. They didn't even have computers at my school and photography lessons were in black and white. That was just through the 70's.  If this can change so much in my first 40 years I have to be honest in my thoughts that the next 40 can change just as rapidly and not for the good either.

I have an old poster on my wall which I have had since I was about 23 years old. I was drawn to it when I had no idea why and have kept this poster on my walls of each home I have lived in for the past 24 years.

"Only after the last tree has been cut down,
Only after the last river has been poisened,
Only after the last fish has been caught,
Only then will you find that Money cannot be eaten"
Cree Indian Prophecy

Yours comments are welcome and appreciated.

Cheers,

Wendy