Old People Writing Competition

BuckyDuckman

Literotica Guru
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Okay, not another story competition - we have enough of those going on: so maybe a link to a story where you've included an old-fashioned technology or add a blurb that includes a reference to something a new college student might struggle with understanding.

For example: "Venetian blinds obstructed the view as if the vertical hold had gone out on the TV." Or, "On the back of the page was a perfect reverse version of her carefully written note. "Damn it, I put the carbon paper upside-down again!"" Or, "He carefully dialed the phone, eagerly waiting for each ratcheting clicking to end before spinning the dial again. Why did her phone number have to include so many zeroes, nines and eights?"

What's your best reference to a recent tech now passed?
 
In my flasbacks to the 80's and early 90's I mentioned pagers. Most kids now have no idea about those and its not like its ancient history
 
Made me think of my great grandmother. Born in 1878, died 1970, she went from horse & wagon to the Moon in her life.

My great-great grandfather wrote a book about life on the Frontier circa 1820. Like...marriage changed from, say, 1776, to the early 1800s as Americans moved west. The marriage license came along to ordain marriage because every place had a county courthouse but plenty of places didn't have churches. So a marriage license started the clock for couples, and was good till a parson came along.
 
Made me think of my great grandmother. Born in 1878, died 1970, she went from horse & wagon to the Moon in her life.

My great-great grandfather wrote a book about life on the Frontier circa 1820. Like...marriage changed from, say, 1776, to the early 1800s as Americans moved west. The marriage license came along to ordain marriage because every place had a county courthouse but plenty of places didn't have churches. So a marriage license started the clock for couples, and was good till a parson came along.

Goes back a bit farther than I was thinking, but interesting just the same. Interesting to imagine someplace would be large enough for a courthouse (and I would assume a saloon or two, probably a hotel, brothel, general store, blacksmith) but not big enough for a church. What kind of heathens were they?

Also makes me wonder, what were the advantages of marriage license? I guess it established inheritance chains. Wonder how important it was for pioneers to get church married, too?
 
Yeah, remember way back when--your parents' TV was only black and white, and it could only receive three networks--NBC, ABC, and CBS? No one had imagined cable or satellite TV with hundreds of choices. You had to watch 'I Love Lucy' every week, because everyone talked about it the next day.

The milk man delivered milk on the doorstep a couple days a week. We didn't have convenience stores--what the hell was a convenience store, anyway? No malls, either--just department stores.

We went to the airport, bought a ticket, and boarded a propeller plane up a set of steps--why would we ever need to pass through a security checkpoint? Everyone dressed up to take a plane trip--I don't know why. No one bothered to check our briefcase or anything else we carried on the plane. The meals they served on the airlines back in fifties and sixties were excellent--and free. The flight attendants were all hot-looking young women. Remember the Braniff 'Fly Me' ads and the book, 'Coffee, Tea, or Me?'

And back in those days, a teenager could work on his own car using a basic set of tools. No computer diagnostic machines costing thousands of dollars apiece were required. Oh, and gasoline was about $0.30 a gallon. Gas stations sometimes had 'gas wars' on opposite sides of the street, and if you were lucky, you could get five or six gallons for a dollar--and a station attendant not only pumped your gas, but also checked your oil and washed your windshield.

'You've come a long way, Baby' was a tag line for Virginia Slims cigarettes for women in the late sixties. I sorta miss the good old days, and maybe we haven't come as far as we thought.
 
Goes back a bit farther than I was thinking, but interesting just the same. Interesting to imagine someplace would be large enough for a courthouse (and I would assume a saloon or two, probably a hotel, brothel, general store, blacksmith) but not big enough for a church. What kind of heathens were they?

Also makes me wonder, what were the advantages of marriage license? I guess it established inheritance chains. Wonder how important it was for pioneers to get church married, too?

The marriage license was so you could fuck your bride and beat the stork.
 
In my novel "God Mother" which took place in the '60s not a cell phone was used or mentioned. :D

And muscle cars abound. :D
 
When looking through some old documents from the estate of my great grandmother I was surprised to find a ledger listing "One slave - good condition."

There could be a non-con plot bunny in that I suppose...
 
Yeah, remember way back when--your parents' TV was only black and white, and it could only receive three networks--NBC, ABC, and CBS? No one had imagined cable or satellite TV with hundreds of choices. You had to watch 'I Love Lucy' every week, because everyone talked about it the next day.

[1]

The milk man delivered milk on the doorstep a couple days a week. We didn't have convenience stores--what the hell was a convenience store, anyway? No malls, either--just department stores.
[2]

We went to the airport, bought a ticket, and boarded a propeller plane up a set of steps--why would we ever need to pass through a security checkpoint? Everyone dressed up to take a plane trip--I don't know why. No one bothered to check our briefcase or anything else we carried on the plane. The meals they served on the airlines back in fifties and sixties were excellent--and free. The flight attendants were all hot-looking young women. Remember the Braniff 'Fly Me' ads and the book, 'Coffee, Tea, or Me?'
[3]


And back in those days, a teenager could work on his own car using a basic set of tools. No computer diagnostic machines costing thousands of dollars apiece were required. Oh, and gasoline was about $0.30 a gallon. Gas stations sometimes had 'gas wars' on opposite sides of the street, and if you were lucky, you could get five or six gallons for a dollar--and a station attendant not only pumped your gas, but also checked your oil and washed your windshield.
[4]

'You've come a long way, Baby' was a tag line for Virginia Slims cigarettes for women in the late sixties. I sorta miss the good old days, and maybe we haven't come as far as we thought.


[1] Only a few viewers could have more than BBC or (later) ITV. And that was by cable.
[2] Our milk was delivered daily, including Sunday, usually.
[3] Being a relatively small country, there were few people who flew, unless it was into Europe.
But the "Trolley Dolly" was an interesting thing to see in an advert. This was, of course, at the time when the cabin crew could get pregnant (stewards being a thing of the past). These day, it could be the flight deck.
[4] Well, your petrol was always a great deal cheaper than ours. And I do remember the guy who put it into your tank (under the careful eye of my Dad).
 
Gas station attendants filling gas tanks, cleaning windshields and checking oil is a good one. Same with pagers as being a relic from the not too distant past. VCRs will soon feel as funny as mentioning an eight track. CDs should son feel as antiquated as vinyl does today, too.
 
Oh so many things. Note - Although I live in the states, I'm actually British and grew up in south west England. So everything I have is UK related.

Everyone - and I mean everyone - smoking. And it being featured in movies (Go watch Dr. No for an example of that) and TV - when you watched talk shows from the US and see people lighting up all the time.

Records - even 78's. The practice of putting a penny on the top of the arm before you put it on the record, to make sure the needle didn't skip.

Telephone boxes everywhere, and the whole insert coin, and press button A thing. Why it had to be so complicated, I don't know.

Pubs that smelled of smoke and beer. Wait, that hasn't changed that much...

Being made to wear shorts EVERY FUCKING DAY OF THE YEAR and having my balls frozen off, repeatedly.

No one wearing a seatbelt. At all. In fact, most cars not even coming with one.

Everyone riding bikes around with no helmets, and helmets not even being available.

Being allowed to play, by yourself, all day, alone. You'd just take off after breakfast and no one would see you again till dinner time, and no one batted an eye lid at this turn of events.

Those HUGE concrete edifices that comprise the down town of some of the rebuilding work after the war. Thinking of Birmingham and Glasgow here (did you know that because of all the concrete and quartz in it, Glasgow has a higher background radiation count than sellafield does?).

I could go on, but it's too depressing...
 
Goes back a bit farther than I was thinking, but interesting just the same. Interesting to imagine someplace would be large enough for a courthouse (and I would assume a saloon or two, probably a hotel, brothel, general store, blacksmith) but not big enough for a church. What kind of heathens were they?

Also makes me wonder, what were the advantages of marriage license? I guess it established inheritance chains. Wonder how important it was for pioneers to get church married, too?

Money maker. You have to pay someone to get the license.
 
I'm working on a story takes place in the 70s - at least that's the plan - and I mentioned the Draft and the Student Deferment, and running into the living room to answer the phone. But the last few times I've worked on it I have considered taking those references out and moving it up to the modern era, precisely because many in the audience won't get the references.

One of my memories of old time TV is when my family was visiting my grandmother, and my cousin and I snuck out at night and went a few houses down the block and crept up the front lawn to peer into the picture window to see the new COLOR TV that the neighbors had. I was a few years younger than my cousin and couldn't reach the sill so I only saw a blue glow lighting up the window.

On the same trip one morning I had gotten up early, just after the milkman had delivered, and my Dad told me to run out to his truck and get another two quarts of milk. I did so and the milkman asked if I was sure, I assured him that we needed the extra milk as my family was staying with Gram. When I got back it turned out that he had already left two extra quarts, without being told because he saw our car out front.

Service!! But then half the time Gram would invite him in for a cup of coffee if she was up, and she left the back door open for him all night so he could come right in and put the milk in the fridge. Or as my parents and grandparents called it, the Ice Box. I still call it that occasionally and my wife laughs at the old codger she married every time I do.
 
Oh so many things. Note - Although I live in the states, I'm actually British and grew up in south west England. So everything I have is UK related.

Everyone - and I mean everyone - smoking. And it being featured in movies (Go watch Dr. No for an example of that) and TV - when you watched talk shows from the US and see people lighting up all the time.

Records - even 78's. The practice of putting a penny on the top of the arm before you put it on the record, to make sure the needle didn't skip.

Telephone boxes everywhere, and the whole insert coin, and press button A thing. Why it had to be so complicated, I don't know.

Pubs that smelled of smoke and beer. Wait, that hasn't changed that much...

Being made to wear shorts EVERY FUCKING DAY OF THE YEAR and having my balls frozen off, repeatedly.

No one wearing a seatbelt. At all. In fact, most cars not even coming with one.

Everyone riding bikes around with no helmets, and helmets not even being available.

Being allowed to play, by yourself, all day, alone. You'd just take off after breakfast and no one would see you again till dinner time, and no one batted an eye lid at this turn of events.

Those HUGE concrete edifices that comprise the down town of some of the rebuilding work after the war. Thinking of Birmingham and Glasgow here (did you know that because of all the concrete and quartz in it, Glasgow has a higher background radiation count than sellafield does?).

I could go on, but it's too depressing...

The old phones were activated two distinct ways: Home phones were activated by their bells, and the bells responded to different voltages...15 volts, 30 volts, 45 volts, and 60 volts. That way 4 parties could use the same line.

On pay phones coins dropped in the box hit bells that made sound waves that triggered distinct electrical pulses that operated counters that connected the user to their party, local or long distance.
 
I'm working on a story takes place in the 70s - at least that's the plan - and I mentioned the Draft and the Student Deferment, and running into the living room to answer the phone. But the last few times I've worked on it I have considered taking those references out and moving it up to the modern era, precisely because many in the audience won't get the references.

One of my memories of old time TV is when my family was visiting my grandmother, and my cousin and I snuck out at night and went a few houses down the block and crept up the front lawn to peer into the picture window to see the new COLOR TV that the neighbors had. I was a few years younger than my cousin and couldn't reach the sill so I only saw a blue glow lighting up the window.

On the same trip one morning I had gotten up early, just after the milkman had delivered, and my Dad told me to run out to his truck and get another two quarts of milk. I did so and the milkman asked if I was sure, I assured him that we needed the extra milk as my family was staying with Gram. When I got back it turned out that he had already left two extra quarts, without being told because he saw our car out front.

Service!! But then half the time Gram would invite him in for a cup of coffee if she was up, and she left the back door open for him all night so he could come right in and put the milk in the fridge. Or as my parents and grandparents called it, the Ice Box. I still call it that occasionally and my wife laughs at the old codger she married every time I do.

The draft went away in 1970, I think it was. So you can toss it if the story is after 1970.
 
Ha! I remember when most folks fucked in the woods.

In high school we called those Woodsies. They were more popular than the prom (in fact, we went from the senior prom to one. I'm hoping parents didn't compare notes on the grass stains on their kids' prom outfits the next morning.)
 
The draft went away in 1970, I think it was. So you can toss it if the story is after 1970.

Naw, I finished college in 71 and still have the post card from the draft board telling me I had the lowest lottery number in the county. I think it went away in 72 or 73 'cause by the time I got out in '74 all the replacements coming in had volunteered and we joked with them about enlisting without the threat of the draft.

But I set the story in the same town I went to college in, as best I remember it, about the time I graduated. But it's still in early stages so I can easily put it in the current era. As if I am worrying about it. I'm not sure I'll finish it at the rate I'm working on it.
 
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Naw, I finished college in 71 and still have the post card from the draft board telling me I had the lowest lottery number in the county. I think it went away in 72 or 73 'cause by the time I got out in '74 all the replacements coming in had volunteered and we joked with them about enlisting without the threat of the draft.

But I set the story in the same town I went to college in, as best I remember it, about the time I graduated. But it's still in early stages so I can easily put it in the current era. As if I am worrying about it. I'm not sure I'll finish it at the rate I'm working on it.

Sure. It was the draft lottery that came along in 1970, my brother in law sweated bullets but got a number that was like never gonna be called.
 
My earlier memories include playing on bombed sites and being well aware not to touch anything bomb or shell shaped. My older brother and his friends used to compare their collections of shrapnel fragments.

In our South London street there was one car. It was a pre-war Ford Popular that was a company car used by a travelling salesman.

We had the only private telephone in the street, on a party line. If the call was for us, it would ring in sets of three. It was provided because my father worked for the Admiralty and might be summoned to work in an emergency.

There was a public call box at the end of the next street, but our phone was used by the whole street for emergencies such as a woman going into labour.

My aunt, in whose house we lived, had a television. That was the only one in the street. It had a six inch screen but was the size of a four drawer filing cabinet. She had had a television on the Baird system before 1939, but that was useless when television restarted after the war - so she bought a new one.

There was only one channel, the BBC. Later, when we had moved to a larger house she bought another television with a nine inch screen. We, and a large group of neighbours, watched the Coronation on that in 1953. Later, when commercial television started, we had to plug a black box into the aerial socket to get ITV, and take it out to get back to the BBC.

This is the first television advert in 1955 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pKuEwsEiSp8

The price of those televisions was colossal. Her 1939 television cost about the same as a 2-year-old car. The 1953 television cost 200 guineas - £210 pounds - about half the cost of a new car.
 
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