I recently read a story called “29 Things a 2000s Kid Will Never Understand” by CH Andersen that published in Readers Digest. A few of the examples hit home with me, spurring memories and making me think of similar experiences. See if any of these connect with you, and check out the full article at www.msn.com/en-us/lifestyle/smart-living/29-things-a-2000s-kid-will-never-understand/ar-AA1nSNjg
Burning your bottom on a metal slide. Exposed legs. Ninety-five degree weather. Metal slides. I can still feel the burn. And I can’t think of that experience without being reminded of similar ones with the burning-hot vinyl seats in the 1970s vehicles.
Flipping through a card catalog. Most young people today have no idea what the Dewey Decimal System is (or was). Researching information used to be a tedious process. On a much smaller scale, try to find anyone using a Rolodex today to store their contact information.
Having at least 20 phone numbers memorized. Memorizing phone numbers is a thing of the past with contact information now stored in our cell phones, yet I can still recall to this day my home phone number and those of many of my friends.
The satisfying click of a typewriter. I made a few bucks in college typing papers for my buddies on a manual typewriter Aunt Dorothy gave me. I never ran out of ink, but I did go through some ribbons and a lot of Wite-Out. Those clicking sounds from my manual typewriter will never be forgotten.
“Smoking” bubblegum cigars. I faintly remember these plastic-wrapped treats, which were often pink or blue, as they were frequently handed out to non-smokers when babies were born. Moreso, I remember candy cigarettes, packaged in small cardboard boxes that looked like Marlboros, Camels, Kools or the other brands. They even had the red ink on the end of the candy sticks to look like they were lit.
Waiting two weeks to see if you got a good picture. Taking photos used to be a time-consuming and expensive hobby. It also required patience, as those who took film in to be developed had to wait a lengthy time to get prints back, often ending up disappointed in the results. Thumbs did a lot of photobombing back then.
The horror of an unspooled cassette. The sound of your favorite cassette tape crinkling in the player was something nobody wanted to hear — but often did. I would carefully repair my cassettes with Scotch tape and wind them back in with a pencil, but the damage was done.
Have some other memories of tasks from days gone by? Send them my way.
Have a great week, and thanks for reading.
Shane Goodman
President and Publisher
Big Green Umbrella Media
shane@dmcityview.com
515-953-4822, ext. 305 | 
