September 8, 2014
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A Deprived Childhood
I was talking with my folks the other day and I came to realize that they both lived deprived childhoods.
They didn't have cell phones. They didn't even have a phone at all. Most people didn't though.
They didn't have blue ray players and big screen TV's. In fact they didn't even have television. Most homes didn't have TVs in those days.
They didn't have Netbooks, I pads, laptops or even PCs. The personal computer hadn't even been invented yet.
So likewise, no internet.
Neither one of them had an electric refrigerator, or freezer. Just an old fashioned ice box. The ice man delivered ice regularly. The milkman delivered fresh milk daily.
My parents were not poor. Both my grand-dads had good jobs.
My parents never played video games as children. They never watched Monday Night Football.
Their family auto, when they finally got one, had no heater or AC or seatbelts.
They had no microwave popcorn, because they had no microwave ovens.
My parents grew up without an electric washing machine or clothes drier.
They had no gas powered lawn mowers, just the old heavy reel push mower.
My parents were deprived children. It's a wonder they survived at all.
Comments (12)
I have always wondered how the ice for the ice box was produced.
Unknown answers to questions.... *scratches head
It sounds to me like they were blessed!
And they raised an amazing son!
I think of my summers as a kid...playing in the sun (most of the day), doing chores, watering the garden, drinking water from the hose, etc. I'm glad I grew up when I did.
HUGS to you and your blessed parents!
I am excited to buy the new Apple big phone and the wrist watch. I am pathetic..
I remember just listening to the radio and our first B&W tV--mostly old cowboy movies.
I remember the ice box
I did not have a chair for the kitchen table, so I sat on an apple box.
We slaughter our own chickens.
we ate everything fresh.
I remember milk before it was homogenized. My mom hated it.
Those were not bad days. Am I spoiled? lol
Who's to say what poor or deprived is?
It's all about expectations.
You are talking about me. We had no ice box among all the other things that we were deprived of. The phone and the car came when I was in high school. Never knew or watched television until I came to this country 47 years ago.
Today's children will never have the thrill of climbing onto the ice man's truck and stealing slivers of ice while he was taking the big blocks inside.
I kind of miss having a clothes-line.
somehow, I think they had much more healthy fun than many children do today ~
Without TV, Internet and cell phone we thought on our own and were not conditionned about the way to think or the topics to think about
About lawn mowers there was not many because most of people grew aa veggie garden and not an useless lawn .
However in Europe the past time was not so good since we had two horrible wars between 1914 and 1945.
Thanks to evoke this topicc, John.
In friendship
mIchel
You are so right! I remember that thrill of seeing color TV for the first time and being blown away by the NBC peacock!
Janet's comment made me laugh - I remember my mother telling me that if I was cold to put on a sweater and help her clean the house!
Instead of "cell" phones they had two cans stringed together to talk sort of beyond shouting distance.
Instead of Microwave popcorn (with its clogging non spoiling oil) they had stove popped popcorn that leaves very few bad kernels behind.
Instead of the internet the parents had the "grapevine" and people were so concern about it that they rarely were permiscious and more moral.
So what no gas mowers. The price of gasoline was so cheap that you could buy a week worth of gas for a dollar....
Most people of the past couple generations are spoiled and take so many conveniences for granted.
Without video games, tv, or internet, they could play board games or read.
I grew up with many of the same impediments that you list above -- I definitely don't/didn't feel deprived!! One funny memory -- when my sister and I complainaed that the new car didn't have a heater, he reminded us that we belonged to the Poasasu Indian Tribe (put on a sweater and shut up!)!
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