As a senior, what do you miss about the "old" days? (55, graduating)
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Well, it depends on how old you are (I'm 59) and what kind of family or place you grew up in. Poorer and blue-collar women have always worked, just not in "good" jobs. Women didn't have access to the education, support or skills for many jobs, especially "wives." ... it's hard for me to get nostalgic about any time where I wasn't a full citizen or full human being in society.
I'm 65 (66 next month) so I grew up in the same time that you did.
Regarding work opportunities for women: My mother was born in Germany and lived on a farm with a dirt floor there. She emigrated to the US in 1939, a time when immigrants had to be sponsored by someone here who would agree to be responsible for that person's housing, health care, job status, criminal activities, etc. A distant relative in New York sponsored her and, because she spoke no English, she took a job as a live-in nanny/housekeeper to learn our language from interaction with that family.
After she met/married my father and had three kids, his job resulted in their being transferred to Houston. She got a "temporary" job as a low-paid office assistant to a realtor so they could recoup some of the money they spent on the move. Through hard work and more hard work, she then became a realtor -- and, although she never lost her deep German accent and her handwriting in English was almost illegible (have you ever seen German handwriting?) for the rest of her life, she had an awesome career for the next 40 years -- mainly because of her no-nonsense, honest, very hard-working German approach to life. The homes in her sales area sold for $25,000-$35,000 but she was a member of the Millionaire Sales Club every year from its inception until her retirement.
I'm sorry that you feel you werent a full human being in society. But I know about the opportunities available to women in those years. Nothing was ever given to my mother. She was widowed early and "made" all her good luck and good life on her own.
I miss living in someplace where I feel like I belong. Society has changed so much in so many ways, and most not for the better. I can't even come up with one, there are so many. If I could change one thing, it would be that there wouldn't be music every place you go.
What I miss most is the loss of the ability to walk the streets alone, even at night, leave things unlocked,let your kids out the door without even giving a thought to whether or not they'll return....teaching your kids to always smile and say Hello, even to strangers....to give directions to those that stop and ask for assistance.....the ability to hitchhike.
Most wives didnt work and didnt need to work. Life was affordable. Families could live on one salary because there werent so many expensive "necessities" to buy. The "family unit" was, for the most part, intact. Family members all ate dinner together and interacted with each other.
Those were the days when a woman's salary (if you could call it that) wasn't considered by banks for mortgage loan purposes because she might get pregnant.
I don't miss much from the "old" days. As a child, I tip-toed in fear of my parent's wrath and I lied about going to church on Sunday. Cars were big and ugly and took up what is now a 2-car driveway, B&W TV, telephone party-line, frumpy I-Love-Lucy clothes, nope nothing! But I do miss my Mom's cooking!
I'll probably get slammed for this but I dont mean it the way it's going to sound.
I miss the days before Lyndon B Johnson's "Great Society" created a welfare-dependent culture. Everyone pulled his/her own weight and no one thought twice about doing so. No one felt entitled to have the government pay his/her way for generations.
There were jobs for everyone. Most wives didnt work and didnt need to work. Life was affordable. Families could live on one salary because there werent so many expensive "necessities" to buy. The "family unit" was, for the most part, intact. Family members all ate dinner together and interacted with each other.
texasfirewheel, I agree 100%! Kids played outside with often times nothing more than their imagination, not sitting in front of the boob tube playing video games all day long eating out of a bag of chips. We always had dinner, at the dinner table, and talked about our day. I see young people these days with no manners at all, looking to see what others can do for them, trying to get that almighty disability check.
As a probation officer, I will never forget one young 30ish girl I had as a client. When I asked her where she worked, she said, "Oh, I get a check!!"
I asked what kind of check, to which she answered "Disability!" I said she was awfully young to be disabled, what was her disability? "My back," she replied. "I have scoliosis, degenerative disk disease, and arthritis!" And so I said, "I HAVE THE EXACT SAME BACK PROBLEMS. Do you mean to tell me that I get my butt up at 5:00 a.m. everyday to come to work, and I could be home and get a check!!" I don't think what I was saying registered with her. Gheesh! I see so many of our young people (the ones I see on a daily basis are deadbeats and criminals) with no ambition, no drive, no morals, no goals....just looking what someone else can do for them.
Back to the way it used to be, my mother sewed most of our clothes. We didn't have to have $100+ jeans, designer clothes, etc. My mother could make a meal out of one chicken to feed the entire family of 6 (my grandmother lived with us). I learned so much from her! I appreciate both of my parents for instilling values and morals to my sisters and me. I know I was fortunate that I was raised in a loving home, and with 2 parents.
I will also say this: occasionally I come across a young person that is hard-working, ambitious, and responsible. I like to tell them that they have restored my faith in young people!!
I miss the newspaper...getting to work early to read "the latest", perusing the Sunday ads for weekly sales. Sure, there's still newspapers but that route is not necessary
I miss the newspaper...getting to work early to read "the latest", perusing the Sunday ads for weekly sales. Sure, there's still newspapers but that route is not necessary
And whatever happened to magazines like Life, Saturday Evening Post and Look?
I miss my youth I guess. I'm very happy where I am, intellectually, financially, spiritually. But I'd sure like my 25-year old body back!
Me too. All this talk about some mythical Ozzie and Harriet world is not what I remember. But I sure would like my old body back
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I see so many of our young people (the ones I see on a daily basis are deadbeats and criminals) with no ambition, no drive, no morals, no goals....just looking what someone else can do for them. 
