ne 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 yet invented pantyhose, air conditioners, or clothes dryers — the clothes were hung out to dry in the fresh air — and man hadn’t yet walked on the moon.

“We thought ‘fast food’ was what people ate during Lent. Pizza Hut, McDonald’s and instant coffee were unheard of.

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

“We never heard of FM radio, tape decks, CDs, iPods, electric typewriters, yogurt, the internet or guys wearing earrings.

“We listened to 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.

“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.

“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. ‘Aid[e]s’ 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.

“Your Grandmother and I got married first… and then lived together… We were the last generation to actually believe that a lady needed a husband to have a baby, and every family had a father and a mother.

“I was before gay rights, computer dating, dual-careers, daycare 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.

“Until I was 25, I called every man older than I ‘Sir,’ and after I turned 25, I still called policemen and every man with a title ‘Sir.’

“Serving one’s country was a privilege; living in this country was a bigger privilege. ‘Draft dodgers’ were those who closed front doors as the evening breeze started.

“No wonder people call us ‘old and confused’ and say there is a generation gap.”

“Wow, grandpa!” said the boy. “You must be ancient!”

“Nope… I’m only 60 years old. But the world sure has changed!”

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