Reasons why things really were harder for us as kids....

Yes, our parents walked uphill both ways to school in the driving snow in the olden days. BUT, here are all the things I can think of that we didn't have through most of our childhood (and I mean everyone who is my age!)

1. Cable, dvr...Geez, my Dad got us OnTV when I was in like 5th grade so we could see Blackhawks games. It was one knob...turn it to the right and watch special sports and sometimes they had a movie on, whoa!

2. Cell phones...I can't even remember what it was like before cell phones. And who even remembers what a BUSY SIGNAL sounds like? My son heard one a year or so ago and he was so confused.

3. Computers...OMG, in college I got an Apple IIc with Appleworks and a dot matrix printer and I was da bomb!!!!!!!!!!! I think it might be why Tom stayed with me through all of college...I could type his papers and save them. Well, that and I agree to do them all the night before they were due...but that is another list...

4. Fax machine...On my class list of "What to do if I forget to bring my homework home" my class actually has put this down for the past 3 years! Sure, call a friend and have them fax it over! Can you imagine?

5. Insulated lunch bags...very convenient...not much else to say. Although we had metal lunch boxes and you could whack the hell out of some jerk on the bus with those if you needed to. I did have a metal lunch box collection for years. Sold most of them on eBay 2 years ago and I made like $700.

6. Microwaves...We had one by junior high. But it was HUGE and had a dial. I think it took up most of the counter.

7. Video games...Pong, Atari anyone? I bought Tom and old Atari off eBay awhile back and the boys played all the old games for awhile for laughs. I think they actually felt real sympathy for us. They were like, "This was IT?? The characters don't even look REAL!"

8. iPods...When I got a Sony Walkman I thought it was the best thing since sliced bread. Who knew?

9. Internet...We had to actually look things up in books. Amazing. How did we ever survive? If you had a question you might have to wait until you got home, or to a library to answer it. Now, I can whip out my phone and Google it.

10. We had no worries about perverts so we had to play outside all the time...With kids on our block who might not even be the same age! OMG!! The horror! We didn't have playdates...we just played outside until our moms yelled out the front door for us.

Clearly, I am forgetting some things....Add to the list, please!