From time to time our mind wonders. Yours doesn’t? I guess I am an anomaly. I can’t turn my brain off most of the time. Lately, I have had bouts of insomnia, so I am “cat napping” here and there meaning I am sleeping in spurts. It is all part of a different mood. I can come to accept such periods. If I fight it, it only makes it worse. I know it will pass and I will go back to a more “normal” routine. What brings on such moods? Uh, well, chemistry is a big factor. Stress. Weather. The holidays. You name it. Comes with the territory. (I did spend a great period of time reading “propaganda” which more than likely exasperated the situation which in all fairness the reading of the propaganda was brought on by the mood shift in the first place… see the vicious cycle?) It is all part of the great roller coaster of madness. Good thing I learned to appreciate the seat belt.
I have noticed the latest fashion trends. Really? Being someone who seems to have gotten stuck in the same fashion hole way back in high school and never really evolved, what is up with some of the things people wear? Its like a hodge podge of the 60s, 70s and 80s all rolled into one. What was the 90s just not cool enough? I’m thinking it has something to do with the mentality of those decades and what they represent more so than the actual fashion. Me, I’ve never really been into trends. Didn’t do the neon, no parachute pants. I always have and probably always will stick to my definition of classic, simple and basic. My number one rule, if it doesn’t match or “go with” at least 3 other things I own, it is not worth the investment.
This train of thought has led me to think of a few other things. (Oh yes, for some reason I have been all about lists. So I am going to do a few posts with lists in them – at least until it bores me.) Instead of fashion, what are some things we could really use from our childhood? What are a few things we should bring back – regardless of technology – and make them fashionable again?
10. Encyclopedia sets – I do not know about you but there was nothing like the day we got the new Encyclopedia Britannica. I’d spend days reading it. I’d go through each volume randomly reading about this or that. I could not wait to get a project where I could actually use them! And the special editions! I read them cover to cover. I don’t think they publish them anymore. How awful. Google is nothing compared to the encyclopedia. No where in the encyclopedia is there a disclaimer saying the information may or may not be true. It was not a collaboration of a bunch of people who may or may not know what they were talking about. It was not full of opinions; it was fact. It was a trusted source of information. History was recorded accurately. It was matter-of-factly presented and it was what it was. You learned how to cross reference, look things up, paraphrase oh, and read. I guess it was a bit like work. Probably why it would not work today. You couldn’t push a button and poof, it appear. It took effort. The information had to be vetted and get this, it had to be vetted by reliable, knowledgeable and impartial sources. Where are you going to get that today? The question we need to be asking is why don’t we have that today?
9. Burn Barrels – there was a time when those of us who did not live directly in the city limits separated our trash. We separated it into burnable and not burnable. That is pretty dern close to recyclable and non recyclable if you ask me. Then we would take the burnable out to the burn barrel and do what any responsible person would do – we burned it. It had a grate on the top to keep debris from flying and we always stayed long enough to make sure nothing else caught on fire. It kept unnecessary garbage from ending up in the landfill and we were actually doing our part to help the environment. As with all things; however, it became unacceptable to do such things. For the life of me, I cannot figure out why. Well, I can but again, we have a small number outweighing the bigger good. Now, I just throw everything and I do mean everything in the trash and it all ends up in the same place. Think of the benefits if we’d just bring burn barrels back. Bet those environmentalists might blink once or twice. I am not big on recycling. I refuse to go out of my way to separate my trash knowing (and yes I worked in and with sanitation so I know this to be true) in the end, regardless of the regulations, it all ends up in the same place. Good in theory but not in practice. It is a burden to the average person when there is absolutely nothing in the end that changes. Practical and reasonable solutions make sense. But what about the smoke? Really? There is already an alleged hole in the ozone layer. One really believes burning trash in their backyard is going to make it worse? Yep, and the 17 glaciers that have existed will melt next year, too. I’m sure the smog in LA can be sucked up by some device they just haven’t released yet but lets not focus on that. Let’s just keep packing our landfills until we all become one because, well, there isn’t another solution.
8. Corded Phones – There are so many benefits of a corded phone. I love my cell phone but do you know the one thing I rarely do with it? You guessed it… make phone calls. Texting is the number one thing. Surf the internet, check an app, get directions, take a picture, use it as a calculator… everything but make a phone call. As those closest to me will attest, I do not answer my phone either. I do not like a ringing phone. If you are going to have a phone, make it interesting. Growing up, there was nothing like THE phone. Yes, I said THE. It wasn’t like we had a phone in every room. We had one. If you wanted privacy, you took the whole phone as long as the phone cord would extend. Remember party calls? Stay on the phone too long? Papa had no problem walking by the phone and hanging up the base… while you were on the headset. And just how do you slam a cellphone? I miss the no calls after 9pm unless it is an emergency. You didn’t give your number out to everyone because everyone at home could and would answer the phone. It was the house phone and should be treated as such. It was respected. Do we really do that today with our phones? Do we need to stay connected all the time everywhere we go? Really, who wants to hear the toilet flush? Do we even allow collect calls anymore? Do you know the challenges posed to emergency management personnel because of cell phones (the bouncing of a signal from tower to tower?) I’m not saying don’t have communication devices, I’m just saying be practical. Make what we have today into mini computers we carry and bring phones back. Teach etiquette. Phone booths – without phone booths, where does Superman change his clothes? Phones are phones. Let’s use them as such.
7. Two keys for your car – I know what you are thinking here… I can’t keep up with the one key I have, how on earth am I going to keep up with two? A car is a pretty big deal. I am grateful to own one. Despite what some may think, I love my car. I am grateful my husband has done such a wonderful job keeping my car on the road and I plan on driving it until it literally dies. It is a great machine. With a push of a button, I can unlock one door then push it again, I can unlock all the doors to include the truck. I can also take the key, unlock it manually then use the same key to drive the car. Some cars don’t even need a key; they have this code you program. Then you get in the car and push a button and you go. I don’t know about you but in a world of ever evolving technology, this to me is not necessarily a good thing. You can sit in your house, push a button start your car, warm it up (even the seats) then go outside, unlock your car and drive off. You can do that from your office at work. I am pretty sure there are some pretty smart folks out there up on technology who can hack into the system on that pretty savvy car and drive off with it the moment you turn it on. Cars today are not so easy to “hot wire” as they were decades ago thus if I had a key to unlock the door, driving off with the car would still be an issue. Also, I could always carry the unlock key with me and keep the driving key separate. As one who locks their keys in their car fairly often, this is a viable option for me. Why did we ever go to this method? Like other things, we got lazy. We wanted things easier. It’s a lot cheaper to make duplicates of keys than it is fobs. I am sure it is a lot more complicated than I am making it here. Maybe I just like the idea of two keys.
6. Slips – Modesty ladies! It never goes out of style. It could be me but I believe just because you have it doesn’t mean you need to flaunt it. With certain fashion, there is a need for something extra. Men seem to get it. They wear undershirts. Whether they are sporting a nice tank top or t-shirt, it is rare for them to be found, especially when they are dressed nicely without one. Women; however, have lost the modesty sported in the generations prior to the free love movement. I fully understand bras can be uncomfortable. So can boobs sagging to your knees. You want to know pain? Varicose veins are not the most comfortable. If you want to show everyone your underwear, feel free to post pictures (which a lot do) or don’t wear pants/shirts. Slips serve many purposes. They help with static cling, makes the dress/skirt flow more naturally, keeps what is under the skirt from being shown to the outside world and they are classy. In addition to being classy, they can be quite sexy. That; however, is for a different post. It extends beyond just slips. Pantyhose… cramming your bare feet into a pair of heels is not good for you. Heels for one is not good for you – mainly because most women do not know how to walk in heels correctly, most do not know that the pressure on the toes can cause permanent damage (but there is a way to eliminate this with tape much like a boxer who wraps their hands before putting on boxing gloves) – but more importantly, your legs need support. One of the leading cause of those ugly blue veins is no support. I do not know about you but I’d rather invest in pantyhose with support than deal with the ramifications of bulging veins later. Sexy Victoria Secret bras are pretty. But who is looking at them? If you are showing the world you may want to check yourself. Lingerie is private use not public display. What I show my husband is between us. So does it matter if I wear a support bra to work as long as I have the lace and frills at home? And lace and frills are fine anytime, that is what a camisole is for. Modesty. Its what’s for dignity. Wear the sheer just be sure there is a slip underneath.
5. TV Commercials – Remember, “Where’s the Beef?” or “Don’t Squeeze the Charmin!” How about, ‘Ancient Chinese Secret.” Joe Izuzu. There was a time you understood what the commercial was about, the product that was being sold and it actually made sense. Subliminal messages were rare. Innuendos, on the other hand, were subtle, funny and appropriate. Watch commercials today and I guarantee you are confused at least half the time. What exactly is the message? What exactly is the product? Are they saying what I think they are saying? Is there another message in that commercial? Are you as confused by that as I was? Wait, am I supposed to buy it on the merits of the product, the message, the spokesperson or the feeling this commercial gives me? What exactly does that have to do with the product? Was that selling me something? Literally, as one who works in marketing, I am baffled by some of the commercials to a degree I cannot explain. There are several approaches one can take with a message – product – concept then there is what is actually being done. We remember great taglines, good spokespeople (even bad ones,) messages that are clear and concise. Certain icons stay with us. Can you honestly say you can recall any of the commercials you have been exposed to over the past week – with clarity – and the purpose of them? Were you moved in any way to look into, purchase or recommend the product(s) being endorsed by them? Change your buying habits? Culture and world view plays a key part in how things are marketed. This has a direct impact on commercials. We can’t just blame it on the company or the firms who create the ads. Again, one thing that should come back in fashion, as it were, is commercials that make sense. Then, in order to do that, society would have to make sense.
4. Waterfilled Ring Toss – with X-Box, Playstation, Wii, Switch and every other sort of electronic gaming device, there is no chance on the planet this one will come back in style. I remember sitting for hours with my ring toss game trying so hard to beat it. I was not the best at it. I would even get frustrated (me, frustrated, can you imagine?) dump it upside down and start over thinking that was the solution. Between the ring toss and the etch-a-sketch, I would stay amused for hours. I did not need fancy graphics or loud music, I needed concentration. For me, it was skill and dare I say it, patience. There were things I learned from those two games that I could not learn from a video game even if I tried. Sure, they were hand held games. They taught eye-hand coordination. I controlled them. They were not noisy. If I wanted to upgrade, I could – simply by changing my approach. Any kid who things they are simple minded games never sat down and tried them. There is a simplicity and a complexity about them that have been lost. Its the same simplicity and complexity that is needed today. What fuels our imagination and ability to adapt isn’t found in a video game. It is found within the recesses of our mind. It is found by expanding and using the greatest processor we have. When we limit that, we lose our ability to do everything else. We lose our ability to focus, dream, think outside the box, create and adapt. I never did learn a lot of patience but I did learn not to quit until I had won. To look at things from a different perspective. To keep at it until I had mastered it. To know some things are skill and some things are just what they are. But regardless, keep playing.
3 – Handwritten notes – I like to joke and say if we keep going pretty soon we will be able to use cursive writing as a secret code. (And if we make all cars manual again coupled with the cursive writing thing, we can cripple a whole generation.) We don’t teach our children to write. Granted, we have nearly two generations that are adept at typing with just their thumbs but what good is that? Instead of passing notes in class, kids today, text and hide their phones. In my blue box (I guess I will have to do a post on my blue box) I have stashed notes passed in high school and letters that were actually – get this – mailed to me. Does anyone actually do that anymore? My children thought it was a punishment growing up when I made them write thank you notes to people. I watch the youth exchange numbers with people so they can “keep in touch.” I used to love the show “Big Blue Marble” because I could have a pen pal. Someone I didn’t know but to whom I could write letters. And I did. Friends from school, I would actually write letters to over the summer to keep in touch (yes we had a telephone but remember, it was the house phone.) I love buying cards then finding people to send them to. It has just become acceptable to type everything. I write a lot. I’m not just talking writing here on my blog or my book. I am talking writing. I doodle. Jot down notes, ideas, thoughts, to do lists, etc. I think it is a lost art. What happens when technology is gone or not available? How will you function? It is great to print something out but it makes a world of difference when you take the time to write something. Now whether someone can read it or not, is a whole other ballgame.
2 – School House Rocks – What is the function of a conjunction? How does a bill get passed? What was the shot heard around the world? How did the Declaration of Independence get signed? What is a noun? How do you punctuate a sentence? What is electricity? How do you count by 5? What is division? How many bones in the human body? All of these things and more were clearly explained in School House Rocks. You were getting educated correctly and entertained all at the same time. If you were watching Saturday morning television, you were exposed to School House Rocks. The amazing part was it did not matter what station – ABC, NBC or CBS – all interwove the series into the programming. How cool was that? At the time, the message was what was important. Getting it to the audience, which by the way was everyone, was what was important. It didn’t matter your age, race, nationality, sex, religious affiliation or even your political view, the truth was the truth and educating you to that was important. Creators knew there was a captive Saturday morning audience and there was no better time to help strength and reinforce the education system than through School House Rocks. It was a win-win. Today, not so much. Saturday morning programming leaves a lot to be desired. With the emergence of technology and unending programming choices, it would be impossible to accomplish the same feat. However, there is more to it that just that. No longer is there a common goal of educating the masses to such information. In fact, the opposite is quite true. We see examples of it all around us. It is most evident in middle and high school where the very things we learned just watching School House Rock are not even taught anymore. Here’s an idea, maybe for Valentine’s Day, they should put the whole set out on DVD or Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime, Roku, RedBox, etc. and maybe we should gift it to the ones we love. Make Saturday mornings great again!
And finally, the #1 thing we should bring back in fashion – common sense. This is one trend that is well over due for a come back. Think about it. Common sense has been replaced by a barrage of excuses labeled by people and accepted by the masses. It is a mindset of a minority being forced on the majority being enforced by those who have the illusion of power to do so. Rather than personal responsibility, integrity, due process, morals, values, absolute truth, privacy, etc., collective, backwards, relative, biased, non-tolerant tolerant claiming, perverse, agenda ridden mentality has risen to take it’s place. If there is a mass shooting, it is not the shooters fault, its the guns fault even though the gun cannot operate on its own. You are no longer innocent until proven guilty but instead guilty and convicted until proven innocent which doesn’t really mean a thing because you already lost everything you have trying to fight for your innocence. If you disagree with someone and can back it up with logic, facts and proof, you are automatically a racist and a terrorist. If you work hard, you should be forced to share your proceeds with those who do nothing to contribute anything to anyone, after all those $800 cell phones do not pay for themselves. It is logical to oppose the death penalty because killing people is wrong but aborting a baby is a woman’s right because it is her body – after all it is not a life. A small cell on Mars is life – life worth investing millions on exploration but a group of cells growing inside a woman is nothing more than tissue and can be discarded at anytime with no consequence. It takes two to make a baby; however, only a woman has a say when it comes to the decision of life. The man; however, must live with the decision – a dead child or child support for 18 years. “Bringing home the bacon” is offensive to animals and desensitizes people to the rights of animals but showing pictures of conditions of an actual Veterans Hospital is not permitted because it may offend someone. It is inhumane to expect a mass mob who is invading – wait, that is politically incorrect – who is taking a leisurely stroll into our country holding flags from their native country not ours, without invitation – plans – or legal rights – to enter and do as they will (regardless of the fact they are not extended constitutional rights) and they expect to get free healthcare, assistance and housing – not to mention vote – when we have plenty of legal Americans who are not afforded that opportunity. When the first amendment is allowed only when convenient and stricken down because some speech offends some , it is abundantly clear common sense has left the building. There are endless examples of this. Examples 1-9 are all just that – examples of common sense gone out the window. Think about it. Would we really need the encyclopedia back if the truth was actually recorded and taught? If statutes weren’t being torn down simply because they hurt someone’s feelings? If history wasn’t being erased? If environmentalist truly cared about the environment rather than creating mass hysteria, burn barrels would be properly utilized and recycling would have its place. If people were intentional with one another and technology kept in proper perspective, phones and handwritten notes would always have their role and people would know how to use them. If we cared about one another and took care of our things, it would not matter if we had one key, two keys or no keys. The reasoning for fobs would not be necessary and let’s be honest, luxury is nice but have we grown so lazy we can’t walk to our car to defrost it? If your car gets stolen, snowflake, its your fault, not the car’s. Modesty has never gone out of style, its just that we have become tolerant of what we accept. The human body is a beautiful thing. I just do not want to see every body’s. Don’t hand me the line, “well I should be able to walk naked and no one touch me or say anything.” Yep, and I should be able to withdrawal $1 million from the ATM because I have a debit card but that isn’t how it works. Nothing can replace hard work, practice and creativity. Technology isn’t going to give you that. You can’t sell a dream and deliver a nightmare and not expect horror to occur. You also can’t sell water from a dry well. Eventually, false advertising becomes false sales. If you buy the lie, you get just that. Nothing beats a good education no matter how you get it. It is not always sitting in a classroom. Sometimes, sometimes, you get it from the most unexpected places. The key is to make sure it is the truth. In the end, it all boils down to common sense.
I know, rather wordy. But there is a wee bit to truth to this madness. John 8:32… :Ye shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free.” Jesus is the truth. Often we forget that. We forget the “fashion” set forth for us by Him. By the world’s standards it may not be the most glamorous but I can tell you this – it will never go out of style. I promise you this, it is a style that will echo for eternity. I don’t know about you but I know that is something I would rather have. So what do you say? I think it is time to bring a few things back in fashion.
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