You Know You Are Old When

[WinterDeere]

For example Imagine the start of a world war today. Who are the hundreds of thousands for young men who will volunteer to go to war? Who are the young women who will work the factories to make the tanks, and planes, and ships? Who will sacrifice their own comfort to fund the war? Todays youth? I doubt it, very seriously.

Fret not scootr! I know it's human nature to have doubts, but it's hard to find examples where this has actually failed in history.

Here's the thing, saying "kids today" probably goes back to cavemen, with every elder generation doubting the constitution of those following several decades behind. But it's been proven, time and again through centuries of modern history, that at least some necessary fraction of the population will always rise to the challenge of what's before them.

And let's not pretend it was ever an everyone scenario, either. There have always been exceptional people on both ends of the spectrum, we just tend to write about and remember the few at the favored end, in each generation. Plenty of folks got tarred and feathered, run out of town, or just shunned during our own American revolution, for failing to join the cause for various reasons.

Spending every day surrounded by teens (peers of my own kids), I have zero concern, that they're up to whatever the world is going to throw at them. Their solutions aren't going to look like ours, but their problems probably won't look like ours, either.

 

[MossRoad]

When we started in business (70s) downtown there was a White Castle (equ.) place I could see from my desk about 200ft away. They just celebrated their 90 yr anniversary with 90c hotdogs. We would work at night many times and go there for food (I'm sure it had to be the cheapest ingredients) but sort of addictive.
A guy I worked with used to work there and said he would 'get it on' with one waitress in the kitchen table where they made hamburgers.
One night wife & I saw a large patron fall off a stool dying from a heart attack!
The place was open 24/7 and always busy.
On the other side of us was a small diner that sold beer & food. They had a collection jar on counter labeled "Wine for the Blind".
They had a poster listing people who owed them money. One said "John Haggerty $12.50 (we have his teeth)". I asked & was told he laid his dentures on cigarette machine and owner took as collateral.
From the third floor of my building you could walk across the flat roof and look down on the diner's skylight watching them cook. My building was full of stuff and I found a fishing rod & reel. I went over with a couple friends, lowering line through skylight and re-arranged pots & pans when they had their back turned.
One lady removed her apron and left saying "this place is haunted!".View attachment 4375200View attachment 4375201

I believe that building is a historic gas station design. Forget what oil company had it. But here's on in LaPorte, IN that's on the list of historic buildings...

 

[MossRoad]

I was born in 1950, and grew up in what I maintain was the best time in history to grow up. It was timed just right to start driving as the best real muscle cars were built.
Life was a whole lot simpler back then, we had red line Wide Ovals, gas was $.25/gallon and phones had curly cords.

View attachment 4375310

I have to wonder if she is still alive.

Some would ask "the car or the woman?"

 

[MossRoad]

I was born in 1950, and grew up in what I maintain was the best time in history to grow up. It was timed just right to start driving as the best real muscle cars were built.
Life was a whole lot simpler back then, we had red line Wide Ovals, gas was $.25/gallon and phones had curly cords.

View attachment 4375310

I have to wonder if she is still alive.

And I'm pretty sure my wife had the same outfit when we were dating.

 

[MossRoad]

You got that right bro!!! One thing I remember is never seeing any homeless people or tents ️ on the street!
Born in 46!

I recall quite a few hobos living in the woods. No one had cheap nylon tents like today. They had canvas tarpaulins and a rope for a lean-to at best. There was always a soup kitchen in our town.

 

[Oaktree]

I don't know about being the coolest, but they are The Greatest Generation. My father was of that era, and he deserved the title. It didn't matter WHAT life threw at him, he would just do the next right thing, and make the best of it.

Homeless were called hobo or bum and it was a title you didn't want to wear. Children had fathers at home, who whipped their ash when they did wrong. Mothers stayed at home and held the family together. Us old guys were privileged, because society was on one page, not divided. People knew right from wrong. The media was reporting, not writing the news. And a life was worth more. Way more.

Funny how we tend to view the past thru rose colored glasses. The self-described "greatest generation" was also the one responsible for getting us into the Vietnam quagmire, and blamed our losses there on the young generation for being "soft". I'm not sure "whipping your ass" was the best way of disciplining kids, would justifiably be considered abuse today.
You've gotta be kidding that "society was one one page". The generation gap between boomers and their parents was huge, and let's not forget that race relations weren't exactly cozy either. My father was convinced that there's be full-blown race wars the way things were going in the mid 60s. The news media wouldn't dream of questioning anything the government reported. No idea what you mean by "life being worth more". Ask a black person living in the south in that era what their life was worth.

There were just as many problems in society then as now, it's just that back then it was all swept under the rug.

 

[MossRoad]

For example Imagine the start of a world war today. Who are the hundreds of thousands for young men who will volunteer to go to war? Who are the young women who will work the factories to make the tanks, and planes, and ships? Who will sacrifice their own comfort to fund the war? Todays youth? I doubt it, very seriously.

During WWII, the ratio of draftees to volunteers in the U.S. military was roughly 61% draftees to 39% volunteers.

During the Korean War, approximately 1.5 million men were drafted, while about 1.3 million volunteered, making the ratio of drafted to volunteer forces roughly equal.

During the Vietnam War,
approximately two-thirds of U.S. military personnel who served were volunteers, while one-third were draftees.

Shows a trend TOWARDS volunteering not away from it.

Of course, that was 50 years ago.

 

[Fuddyduddy1952]

I believe that building is a historic gas station design. Forget what oil company had it. But here's on in LaPorte, IN that's on the list of historic buildings...

View attachment 4375540

Yes I believe you're correct. "Eat here get gas" was their motto.

That used to be a Pure gas station and there were a few same style buildings around town.

 

[Alan46]

Growing up in the 50's I saw hobo signs. RR tracks weren't too far and they would hop trains then had signs around telling other hobos where free food (for a little work) was.View attachment 4375426

Damn, that was very interesting!!! Thanks for the post

 

[MossRoad]

Yes I believe you're correct. "Eat here get gas" was their motto.

That used to be a Pure gas station and there were a few same style buildings around town.

Thanks, it was Pure.

Pure Oil Gas Station

This used to be a landmark on US 31 between Kokomo and Indy. Got torn down a while back....