I received an email the other day from an old friend, a senior gentleman, who wanted to share something he had recently come across.
It was a collection of thoughts and photos from many years ago – memories I had almost forgotten.
As you read this column today, if you’re an older senior, take a moment to cast your mind back to what life was like many years ago.
Coca-Cola came in glass bottles, and milk was delivered by the milkman, poured straight into your own container early every morning. Block ice was delivered to keep your icebox cold.
A whole day could be spent catching tadpoles, and if it rained, you put on your raincoat and gumboots.
There were no cars to take you to school; you walked, and Mum packed your lunchbox.
Schools had timber desks with ink wells, steel-nib pens for writing, and the alphabet was learned by repetition. Class sizes were large – 30 or 40 children in a room.
Conversations were for adults, and children were expected to be seen, not heard.
Entertainment was simple. Australian television had shows like Bob Dyer, while radio serials such as Hart of the Territory kept families engaged. Days of Our Lives and Bluebottle were must-watch programs.
Parents and police were figures to be feared if you did something wrong.
Backyard cricket was a favourite pastime, often ending with a smashed window. Hitting the ball over the fence meant “six and out”.
Nobody owned purebred dogs; they never seemed to get sick, and if they got a tick, survival was up to them.
There were no suburbia vets, and pets never received pills. Aspirin or Bex were the go-to remedies for human ailments.
If you were lucky enough to own a car, a 1962 Holden cost about $4000. When you stopped for petrol, the attendant checked your water and oil levels and cleaned your windscreen, without you even asking. You looked for the Flying Horse or the Big Shell signs when it was time to fill up, and petrol was about 19 cents per litre. Car keys were always left in the ignition, and doors were rarely locked.
Family was everything. If you were elderly, your family took care of you, and you typically passed away at home.
By 70, you were considered old, having likely spent decades in the same job. In large families, one child often remained at home to care for aging parents.
Summers were filled with bike rides, swimming, and unforgettable bonfire nights. There were few rules, yet no one worried about danger the way they do today.
Back then, gender was simply male or female.
With all our so-called progress, don’t you sometimes wish you could slip back in time, even for a moment?
Imagine sharing that slower, simpler world with today’s children – if only they could find the time.
