PHOTO BY KAI PILGER
We’ve Come a Long Way
We grew up in the best era ever, or did we?
by Catherine Gannon Taintor
October 2022
THEN
Embroidered jeans
NOW Ripped jeans
THEN Fizzies and candy cigarettes
NOW Bertie Bott’s (including vomit flavor)
THEN Transistor radios blaring the top ten
NOW Spotify
THEN White lipstick
NOW Candy colored hair
THEN Tail fins, side vent windows
NOW Power windows, keyless entry
THEN Wood-sided station wagons
NOW SUVs
THEN Pay phones and princess phones
NOW Smart phones
THEN Pin ball machines
NOW Video games
THEN Vinyl records and 45s
NOW Music playlists
THEN Street games (stickball, 123 off)
NOW Traveling soccer
THEN Mom holding out her arm to keep kids safe in a car
NOW Seatbelts
THEN Mitch Miller
NOW Karoke
THEN Passing notes in school
NOW Texting
THEN Autograph books
NOW Facebook
THEN Paper dolls
NOW Stickers
THEN S&H green stamps
NOW Internet coupon codes
THEN Library card catalog cabinet
NOW Search engines
THEN Work in office cubicle
NOW Work at home
THEN Write letters to stay in touch
NOW Stay in touch with Zoom
NOW Ripped jeans
THEN Fizzies and candy cigarettes
NOW Bertie Bott’s (including vomit flavor)
THEN Transistor radios blaring the top ten
NOW Spotify
THEN White lipstick
NOW Candy colored hair
THEN Tail fins, side vent windows
NOW Power windows, keyless entry
THEN Wood-sided station wagons
NOW SUVs
THEN Pay phones and princess phones
NOW Smart phones
THEN Pin ball machines
NOW Video games
THEN Vinyl records and 45s
NOW Music playlists
THEN Street games (stickball, 123 off)
NOW Traveling soccer
THEN Mom holding out her arm to keep kids safe in a car
NOW Seatbelts
THEN Mitch Miller
NOW Karoke
THEN Passing notes in school
NOW Texting
THEN Autograph books
NOW Facebook
THEN Paper dolls
NOW Stickers
THEN S&H green stamps
NOW Internet coupon codes
THEN Library card catalog cabinet
NOW Search engines
THEN Work in office cubicle
NOW Work at home
THEN Write letters to stay in touch
NOW Stay in touch with Zoom