I’m a boomer, and more than half of these things are still a big part of my life. I still write in cursive, I can tell time on a clock with hands, and I can solve math problems without a calculator. I also drive a 3 speed on the floor.
I'm in the process of making a sewn outfit for a toddler Crocheting a blanket, knitting socks, and getting my garden ready to plant so I can dry, freeze, and can the food that comes from it. I also drive stick, check oil and handle other mechanical maintenance. I make hay and ride horses too. Obviously I live where I need to know this stuff. I'm also available to teach others for a price.
"Fax machines are largely obsolete..." Not true. Many Health Care Providers and Law Offices are still using them, because they are far, FAR harder to hack than a Computer.
In financial services they are still required for compliance reasons. I use them regularly, but now they are either part of a copier or connected to your computer. We don't have any stand alone fax machines.
As a programmer, I have converted image data to a fax image, so, it can be read by another part of the company, and printed using the fax machine. It's used for communication between two groups in the same company, where the image data has to be stored. Yes, pharmaceutical.
A few years ago my youngest son, having learned to write in cursive, figured out that if he wrote his schoolwork in cursive none of the other students could copy any of his work. The others did not know how to read or write cursive. Clever, that one... No cheating from his work!
That's a clever use of cursive writing! It's interesting how what used to be a standard skill has now become a sort of secret code among those who can write and read it. Your son's strategic use of cursive not only protected his work but also highlights a unique advantage of knowing a skill that has become less common. It's a great example of how traditional skills can still have practical applications in today's world.
Did the teacher accept his homework written in cursive? First, the teacher may not be able to read it and second, many schools give students tablets to work on or require all homework and paper be typed. The last is why it’s so easy for plagiarism to flourish.
@@judithkimmerling770 After a battle of wits with his parents(we are bothe engineers... go figure...) yes. It is not the fault of the student if the TEACHER cannot read his work. Other teachers were able to read his work with no problem. His Mom made sure he had VERY neat writing skills! Also, at that time they were not issuing tablets to the students yet.
It's been proven that taking notes by hand improves comprehension. Cursive writing is easier and faster than printing. Cursive (connected writing) is just plain superior.
I sent out Christmas cards to my young neighbors(Gen Y&Z), I wrote a personal note to each one. One of them asked my son what language did I write in, because they couldn't read a word. I was always told my penmanship was readable. I guess I didn't account for them not knowing cursive writing.
Cursive is actually slower than printing. We had to learn it in the 70’s but by the 80’s most teachers couldn’t read what we wrote so they asked us to print. Turned out I could print far faster than cursive. I can’t type as fast as I print so I feel like we have regressed now a days
@@OWG1969 How about that! 😃 I did a little test on myself just now, and printing was faster - I printed about 20% more words in one minute than I could write in cursive. One thing is for sure though - cursive is a lot less fatiguing. I had weakness in my hands for several years and I could only write cursive, not print (because of the constant lifting of the pencil).
When I can’t find a style I like, I am capable of making it. My sewing machine is essential. My car is stick shift, I crochet, I do basic repairs, balance my checkbook, and love maps. We use a map to find interesting places to visit.
Sharons5714 Lady Sharon, me too; wouldn't have anything but a manual shift, which is why I still drive my 2nd gen Dodge RAM1500 5-speed, and yes, purchased brand-new back in da day! Checkbook balancing- yup, always do that and Big foldable maps - no problem + actually prefer them. Cursive handwriting - yes, and with a good ol' fountain pen too, if the paper is good quality for it. ✒ ✒
Over half of these are things people still do regularly and are not obsolete. They are still being done on a mass scale with most people having a functional degree of understanding and skill in most of these areas.
Just like the time traveler in HG Wells' "The Time Machine" when he returned to Weena and the Eloi to rebuild society after the Morlocks were defeated.
I learn to knit and crochet when I was 6 years old I am now absolutely love doing these crafts my whole life I also saw and can sew in society collapses I know I'll survive
Knitting and crochet is a billion dollar industry with books, supples, and accessories, so we still out here learning it and teaching it, it's just we gotta do so on our own initiative now , rather than being taught in a schoolroom!
I’m an avid knitter; it’s a hobby now because few of us are going to freeze without a hand knit sweater. But yeah, lots of us still do it! (And wool sweaters are 1000 times better than anything man made!)
@@CornbreadOracleThank you! I’m a quilter and it’s also a billion dollar enterprise! I cannot knit or crochet - have tried and I’m truly hopeless with yard but I’m great with fabric and I can a,so hand embroider and hand appliqué! These video people have no clue for the most part about what they are saying (or I should say “what their AI are saying!”
My grandma taught herself to knit, learned to write knitting instructions and draw up patterns for sweaters and got a job doing that with a firm that published sweater patterns and directions---starting with the designer's sketch.
My father taught me how to knit. Grammy taught them all how to knit at age 10. If you wanted hats, mitts and scarves you had to knit them yourself. He knit a jacket with hood for my first baby. She used it on her baby. There are actually quite a few young people out there sewing now. Thrifting and altering . Very impressive skills. Others sewing from fabric. Often old patterns. As an old sewer I find their work very impressive. Nice to see the skill kept on.
We finally have a car with Sat Nav, but we use paper maps with it, because like you say the paper map gives you a greater overall understanding of the geographical area. For example with the paper maps I can literally count the number of intersections before we have to get off the motorway, rather than waiting for `in 100 yards…’. which is handy when traffic is heavy
I remember that the letters were removed from the keys. There was no hunt and peck in typing class. And no edit. I was lousy at typing! Loved Shorthand though.
I did my student teaching in typing - about 40 students in each class! Yes, thst was a long time ago but typing on a computer is still necessary! I physically can’t do it “properly” anymore but it doesn’t mean I can’t use a typewriter! Young people don’t even realize that what they think is old fashioned just might come in handy someday - I truly feel sorry for them - and I guess geography, etc. isn’t taught in schools anymore either!
My mother worked evenings at an electronics factory, I was in Jr High and had complained about the typing class as my worst....the comant CEO happened to be there and he told me...."I run this company, and I type with two fingers and look at the keys"...
Im 60 and i still use some of these skills like balancing a checking account, writing in cursive, i can drive a manual( dont currently own one) or change my car oil. I can sew, not very well but my mother sewed and taght All her kids. I can crochet. I can cook and bake. Furniture repair..again not very good. We were always learning something. These days if you want to keep communication from younger eyes just write in cursive. I can read maps....topographical ones also...was taught in R.O.T.C. Boomers are smarter when it comes to personal skills...wish we could go back to 1970s teck so we didnt have to put up with todays b.s.
Thank you for sharing your experiences and the importance of traditional skills. It's a great reminder of the value in passing down knowledge through generations.
If you are in an accident and you come to in the hospital with the question being asked repeatedly "What is your husband's phone number?" you realize, memorizing our loved ones' contact information is still an essential part of life.
Did your cell phone got broken in the accident? Also back in the day, I had a little address/phone number book in my purse with family and friends numbers. I only memorized a few phone numbers.
@@briansomething5987 True. Wonder if they'd grab the purse. Still even if you knew your husband's phone number, you might be unconscious. But it is a good idea to know a few loved ones phone numbers.
@@lilykitty111 Lady Mary, absolutely agree with you. Plus, I have always & still do have those vital phone #s written down on a prominent slip o f paper in my wallet.
I remember clipping coupons out of the newspaper (for actual food items, not just shampoo and razors) and saving Blue Chip and S&H Green Stamps, which could be redeemed for all sorts of things. I know how to set a table correctly, how to wash and dry dishes by hand and how to tie shoelaces, and I still have a landline, balance my checkbook and write cards, letters and grocery lists in cursive.
@pamelachristie5570 I remember green stamps and blue stamps too… pasting them into the books for something once you had enough stamps. If I remember correctly… in the catalog you could even get a VW Beetle…! I don’t remember how many books it took for that… but wondered if anyone was actually able to get enough for one. A lot of things here are just being self reliant. Cursive writing… ✍️ is really not that difficult 😜
I was a healthcare privacy and security officer for a large network for many years. All the clinics and hospitals we served used fax. It's far more secure than email. There are huge HIPAA fines if you breach a patients privacy. So the fax is vital to help ensure patient privacy and avoid fines that can go into the millions.
Balancing a checkbook is a skill that is a must for financial independence. I am shocked at the number of people who do not know how, just use their "plastic", and don't know how to stop those overdraft fees. Then they can't figure out why they can't pay their bills.
@@Lava1964 Hey now, that really sucks. One of us here reading all of this should send you one! To be serious though, the quality of paper used these days in manufacturing check-registers is pretty horrible, so you're not really missing out on a lot? Yes, I still balance my checkbook, but I forgo the low-quality check registers, & instead use good quality full-size notepad paper (with simple lines hand drawn) for accomplishing this very necessary task. ✒ ✒
@@Lava1964 But please tell me that you still check _(and that can't be spelt any other way)_ your account balances to ensure that there aren't any "unexpected" withdrawals. I got caught that way once...
I must have missed the time when changing the oil and carpentry became obsolite. Balancing a checkbook took no more than the ability to add and subtract. In many cases the skills are not obsolete, just things we let specialists do. Using a sliderule is obsolite.
If you consider these useless or obsolete, that's pretty sad. While you are sitting at the side of the road lost and crying because your phone died or your gps doesn't work, the rest of us will be driving because we can read a map. And I can sew my button back on my shirt for free, I don't have to buy a new one or pay someone to fix it for me. And I can actually sign my name on things because I know cursive writing, I don't have to print it out in block letters like a child does. But I guess I am weird, you can toss these useless skills in the box with other skills that the modern generation considers useless like being able to do math, knowing grammer and proper spelling 😂
I was the passenger in a car with a young woman using GPS. The problem is GPS can take you the wrong way. So you want to have some idea where you are. We were suppose to be heading south, but we were going east. Told her we were going in the wrong direction. She wonder why I was so sure. It was simple. Driving south the sun should have been setting to my right. It was setting behind us. I always look up routes before going anywhere new and I carry paper maps. Just in case.
@@dawnelder9046 lol quick story, my daughter had a gps that hadn't been udated for a while (its expensive) We spent 6 hrs driving around Chicago and missing our exit because when GPS told us to turn we were already past that exit. I finally figured out that Chicago had moved the exits and her GPS didn't 'know' that and ordered her to turn when the GPS said in 600', we managed to get the rest of the way with my map.
I have taught my children to be self sufficient . That is a skill that is never outdated. That includes maintenance and repair and the ability to do dirty jobs that are seemingly beneath too many . If things go to pot they will not be useless eaters.
That's such a cool memory! "3 on the tree" transmissions are definitely a nostalgic part of automotive history. What's another life skill from the baby boomer era that you think should make a comeback, or are there any other skills you learned that feel like a lost art today? Thanks for sharing your thoughts, and I'm thrilled to hear you love the channel!
Rinace13, drove my 1st "3-on-the-Tree" back in a summer in between college semesters, while working at a dry cleaning plant and driving the 3-Tree delivery-van. Since my car at college was a 4-on-the-floor manual, not too much of a problem transitioning to the 3-Tree, but I gotta admit, it was just a lil different?
I feel sorry for this generation if our country is ever attacked by an electromagnetic pulse, or if we ever face a grid down situation. My son who lives hundreds of miles away called home recently to say that his cellphone had stopped working and he couldn't find his house! He wanted his mother to help him.
how long had he lived there? With no phone booths, how did he call with no cell phone? Where did he get the phone he used and couldn't that person give him directions? sad
@@KarmicSalt okay, maybe I didn't explain enough. He has only lived there for a short time. He went out camping with some friends, each in their own vehicle. On his way back to his house, his phone crashed. People should at least know how to find north, south, east, and west, that US interstate even numbers run east to west, odd numbers north to south, mile markers indicate the number of miles to the state border, and what highways are near their home.
@AmericanVintageTales I used to think everyone knew these things. At one time, nearly everyone did. Find east and west at night by the moon? If the moon is in crescent, and it's morning, bisect the crescent. The line pointing to the horizon will land approximately east. In the evening, the line will indicate approximately west. If it's a full moon near the horizon in the morning, west will be at your back as you face the moon. In the evening, east will be at your back. It's not exact, and it helps if you adjust for the time of year, but I've used this method many times. When out hiking, judge how much daylight you have left with your fingers. Raise your hands at arm's length to the horizon under the sun as it comes close to setting. I have small hands, but one finger between the horizon and the bottom edge of the sun is about 7 1/2 minutes before the sun sets. After the sun sets, you will have about 15 to 20 minutes of useful light (not necessarily so in mountainous terrain) to set up camp. Everyone should know these things. Probably the most useful knot you might ever need to know is one called a truckers hitch. You can learn it on TH-cam. When I was in USMC boot camp, I could have earned money from the rest of the squad bay when they found out I could sew a torn shirt and make the tear almost disappear.
My mother made all my clothes until I was in high school, then it became a mix. My mothers were always better because they were tailored to me. We were on a 4 party line phone so you had to listen for your particular ring sequence for a call. I learned typing on an older model manual type writer. I can still hear the ring of the bell at the end of the line and the ziiing of the carriage as you used the manual carriage return.
It sounds like you have some truly cherished memories from that era! Handmade clothes and manual typewriters definitely bring a personal touch that's rare today. How do you think these skills have influenced the way you see modern conveniences? Also, do you miss anything about the simpler times when technology was less pervasive? Thanks for sharing these wonderful stories!
@@AmericanVintageTales I'm 76 so yes, I do have a lot of good memories of those times. The ringer washer and the cement tub with built in scrubber channels, cars that you could see a block away and know the make, model and year of it. All the kids I knew did all the work on their cars. Yes, I do miss t lot from those days. People were more relaxed and took life as it came whereas now, everybody is in a hurry to get somewhere. There is very little patience now and I think technology has played a major roll in it.
I've always thought that one should know how to read a map and use a compass before being given access to a GPS system. Analog will always be there when digital fails.
It used to be that older people knew stuff that young people needed to know. I spent hours with my grandmother and her sewing machine, designing & making dolls' clothes. She wasn't obsolete, she was my rock when I was a teen. My brother and Dad were a team: tools, cars, and boats. Kids made real contrib- unions to family well-being. Was mental health better for it?
What a beautiful reflection on the valuable skills and emotional support your family provided! It seems like those hands-on experiences with your grandmother and the teamwork between your brother and dad not only taught practical skills but also fostered a strong sense of purpose and belonging. There's a lot to be said about the mental health benefits of feeling connected and useful within one's family. How do you think these experiences compare to the way skills and family roles are shared today?
My ma broke down and cried when a grotesquely-ornamental piece of her grandmother's bone china broke (thank goodness I didn't do it). It was in the late 1960s when I was about 13 at the time & thought, "Damn! It's just a plate - & besides, you've still got five more just like it!" Ever since, such severe attachment to THINGS is something I completely avoid.
My adult son has a very successful upholstery business, which he learned in high school. I started out as a secretary/ steno and retired as a medical transcriptionist. All learned in public schools.
Those working branch offices for AAA had to learn to read maps upside down so the client on the other side of the counter could have the map right side up.
I love this video and possess most of the skills mentioned, including doing minor car repairs, making my own clothing, writing in cursive, reading maps (I navigated all of our vacation trips when the kids were young). I have hung doors, laid ceramic tile floors (including putting a subfloor under it), and balancing the checkbook. All these skills and I took care of the house, as well. Truthfully, I was no different than any other housewife; most of us had mad skills when it came to actual living...and that included taking care of minor injuries. The only "fine china" we ever had in our house was what my dad collected by going to the movies on the night they were giving it away...piece by piece, week after week. We had complete service for eight along with vegetable bowls and even a soup tureen! With age, the glaze cracked and it wasn't safe to use them anymore. After mom died, they wound up being thrown away.
It sounds like you've truly mastered a wide array of practical skills and played a pivotal role in managing and maintaining your household-truly impressive! Your experience really showcases the versatility and resilience that were common in past generations. It's also a lovely memory about the china set collected from movie nights, adding a unique touch to the family heritage, even if it didn’t last forever. Do you find yourself passing on any of these skills to others in your community or family? How do they react to learning these traditional skills?
Mom made almost all my shirts when I was a kid, I can remember during the summer at my grandparents my aunts around the sewing machine every night. Thet recently cleaned out my aunts house and found boxes of material that hadn't been used I still keep a road atlas, because I usually like to drive on the roads less traveled and the GPS always wants to take you on the interstates. I mainly use my GPS as a heads up display to show me speed time on the road, and mileage. The joke used to be you the last test before you got your license was to be given an unfolded road map and you had to get folded correctly
Every year, the 2nd graders from our local elementary school visit our local museum. They are introduced to churning butter, grinding corn, dial phones, typewriters, telegraph, etc.
I started teaching cursive to the 12th graders. Nearly everyone picked it up really quickly. They squawked for 10 seconds, then learned it was no big deal. Some even had really gorgeous penmanship. I should think one's signature ought to be cursive.
German nuns taught us cursive when I was a small child. Penmanship was a big deal and we had to practice alot. When someone signed a government document with printing (instead of cursive), we had to write "regular signature is printed" next to it....I'm 70 so I don't know what they do now ? Is printing your name as signature accepted ?
With the exception of knitting, I mastered all of these skills along the way. My ability to do carpentry or fix things is limited more by my declining physical abilities than the knowledge I possess. The only thing I wish we still had was the phone book. The ease it was to find the name and address of anybody in your community is hard to express and very much missed.
Keeping a checkbook was a better way to check your bank balance. My parents used to have Triple AAA make a trip plan for them with a map to a place many states away. My Dad drove while my mother helped to read the navigation on the prepared map. I used Mapquest in the 2000s before getting a GPS unit for my car. Loving the smartphones that not only play music, but show the way to my destination even if I take a detour. I still use cursive because it's faster and, of course, prettier than block letters. I am a slow typist, and 65wpm is really pushing it. In the 3rd grade, I learned to tell time, which meant learning some new language phrases like quarter to and half past for example
But you would have heard "It's a quarter to nine" or "It's half past three" or "It's a quarter past midday" or similar all your life until then... You just learnt, more precisely, what they meant.
I can read the old maps, but I cannot read a Google Map. Nor do I choose to be led around by GPS. Don't people wonder what they'll do when the internet goes down, and it will, it has to, to save humanity from themselves, or the Globalists actuallly, as they are NOT human.
In the film Murphy's Romance, Murphy was talking about his skills which included sewing anything there was which had a Buttrick pattern. James Garner and Sally Field were delightful in the film!
Murphy's Romance" is a charming film, and James Garner's portrayal of Murphy as a jack-of-all-trades who can sew anything with a Buttrick pattern adds such a wonderful layer to his character. It's a great example of how diverse skills can be celebrated and valued in storytelling.
@@AmericanVintageTales Haven't seen the film but that's an eye opener. Usually any guy who was good at sewing was looked upon as having a dubious (for the time) sexual preference. Looking at the sewing part of this, you'll notice no men or boys, likewise for the mechanic, carpenter jobs etc, just boys and men. Genders had specific types of jobs 'assigned' to them. Even when I started working in the late 1980's that was still the case. You can still see it in tv shows and films today even.
@@Thenogomogo-zo3un Sewing is heavily involved in Upholstery, which as any Hank Hill aficionado can attest is one of the "Five original industrial arts". Very Manly!
I still remember friends phone numbers from 55 years ago, but don't know anyones anymore.... sometimes I need to think about my own number. I keep a list of important numbers in my wallet, just in case I bust or loose my phone.
People used to know life skills and work skills. Kids watched their parents fix things ,cook,clean,garden,preserve food,hunt,fish,take care of livestock now very few people are trained in the skilled labors such as carpentry,plumbing,mechanics and electrical. You have to pay an arm and a leg if you can find anyone willing to do the labor. So called improved is not necessarily better.
Thank you for sharing your thoughts on the decline of traditional skills. It's a reminder of the importance of passing down these valuable abilities to maintain self-sufficiency.
My great grandmother was the trusted midwife for the neighborhood. She would transfer the patient to the kitchen table because it was easier to clean up. Mom either delivered the baby and lived or both died. No C sections. Lots of maternal mortality in those days.
I always teach the ‘littles’ in my family odd things that were common in the 60s when I grew up. They are amazed and truly interested to learn about these things. It’s fun watching their eyes grow large with a wow!
I learned to sew in the 60's and 70's...and sew very well, which I continue to do. This is not an outdated skill as I have fixed everything from clothing, replacing zippers, to backpacks. In many cases, it helps me to do alterations for clothing or items that don't fit well after ordering, or when needs change.
Interesting. I'm a Boomer and while maybe 4 or 5 these are skills I used (phone book, card catalog, cursive writing, checkbooks, and maps...) Most of the rest belonged to my parents generation, or as described for later generations, more of a hobby or special interest. We would all be better off if we could do auto repair, carpentry, sewing....but who has time.
That’s a really good point. Many of the skills that were once everyday necessities have shifted into the realm of hobbies or special interests due to changes in technology and lifestyle. The time factor is significant; modern life often doesn't allow much room for learning and practicing these skills extensively, unless one specifically makes time for them. It’s a balancing act between modern conveniences and the rewarding nature of these hands-on skills. Do you think there are ways to integrate these useful skills into daily life more seamlessly, or perhaps as part of educational programs?
A lot of what you say here is true, but there IS one problem: All those Modern Conveniences you mention are only Good when the Technology is Available. And they'll only work if your battery hasn't run out.
@@barnettmcgowan8978it’s muscle memory, the only thing is when you eat while driving and you have to master the art of starting in 3rd gear using just the clutch.
My Mother was a home economics minor in college (elementary education -major) so she mastered all the skills in the video witht the exception of driving with a stick shirt and using power tools. Thanks for the memories.
Even if you don’t write checks, you still should reconcile the checking account monthly. That is how I find fraudulent charges, old subscriptions I should cancel, things we shouldn’t spend money on etc.
I’m GenX (68). I remember all this. I still have a road atlas, still write in cursive, still remember phone numbers from, The Time Before,still know how to can, learned to sew on a push peddle from my Grandmother (Greatest Gen), can drive a stick, chsnge my tire, and can also use todays technology. All these “analog” skills should still be taught. It possible we may need them. Nothing is certain.
As a child I did not like laundry day -- I HAD TO FACE THE MANGLER, oh the horror. It would eat you as well as the clothing, Putting a bed sheet through the mangle was a life threatening event.
I remember it for all the buckets of water that had to be carried. Not only into the house. But dirty water had to be carried out in buckets too. The only thing I could hope for was that we had enough rainwater in the rain barrels. If not it was all trips to the well.
OMG have heard horror stories about that thing. Yes, so easy for hands to get caught as sheets and clothes were put through that contraption. I’ve never actually seen one myself.
Oh I HATED balancing my checkbook!! I could never get it to come out right. I was so glad when debit cards replaced checkbooks. But I still write in cursive. And I sew. I can make my own clothes but I mostly quilt. My first car was a 3 speed on the column. I still remember the smell of my grandpas woodwork shop. ❤
It sounds like you've had quite a journey with different skills and experiences! It's interesting how certain tasks like balancing a checkbook can be frustrating, while others, like sewing or recalling the scent of your grandpa's woodwork shop, bring such warm memories. Quilting is such a beautiful art form-do you have any favorite patterns or themes you like to work with in your quilts? And driving a 3-speed on the column must have been an adventure!
@AmericanVintageTales It was actually not that hard to drive. I bought it my senior year in college bc it was cheap. I had learned to drive a stick a couple of years earlier in a borrowed 69 Volkswagen Carmen Ghia. 😂 I love all kinds of quilt patterns but mostly the traditional ones. Not so much the modern designs. I've made quilts for almost everyone in my family. Since I retired, it's become my job. 😂
Everyone in our household has some key phone numbers and addresses memorized. It was needed a couple of times when phone screens cracked, was not charged, or stolen and they needed to call for help.
I'm a 63 yo woman. I'm able to do some basic carpentry, can change oil, gap a spark plug and change a tire, but prefer not to. I enjoy crocheting, but mainly just make baby blankets for charity. I still balance my check book. I can do some basic sewing. I can and freeze as much as I can. I even make my own maple syrup! Since I'm a widow, I'm glad I don't have to use a road map whenever I go away. It's easier with 2 people.
My dad was from the silent generation, the one before the boomers, a jack-of-all-trades. He was still changing his own oil at 84 years old. I was born late in his life, a gen-X kid, but I grew up learning the essentials and thank my lucky stars for it because when the grid crashes, a country boy will survive.
I traveled extensively in my job. Drove through many major cities with nothing but a paper map and hand written notes. Damn. Memerized all phone numbers. 3 on the column with a clutch and no air but windows down. Damn. Baseball at the town field on weekends. Everybody was there. Damn. Sinatra: There used to be a ballpark right there....
4:06 was a great choice. That lady had that car for an incredible number of years, something like 50 years, if I recall correctly. She bought it new when she was a young lady and kept good care of it, respect. I check most of the boxes in this video. The three-on-the-tree could pop out of sorts, you had to know how to put the linkage back in alignment at the bottom of the firewall where the shifter linkage passed through along with the steering column. Map reading could go wrong. One time I estimated we had a 3 hour drive ahead of us. I had used the wrong map scale, we actually had a 6 hour drive ahead of us. We still made it to my sister's wedding on time, but just in time.
NaturalPaths, me too! But I do know of one of the reasons card-catalogues were done away with? My last year of college, I worked part-time in the university library, and I can still remember coming across "torn-out" library index cards in many areas of "the stacks" (< library-term for multiple shelving areas on multiple floors), obviously as a result of some lazy jerk of a student(s) who didn't care about anyone else. Sad isn't it? But yes, the good ol' card-catalogue; always thought of them as the best!
Navigating with a paper map definitely adds an element of adventure and discovery to travel that GPS just can't match. There's something special about unfolding a map and plotting your route, perhaps stumbling upon hidden gems along the way. Do you have a favorite "off the beaten path" place you've discovered through your map adventures?
Admittedly, I use it a lot less these days, but (as a student, teacher and librarian) I was very grateful to be able to jot down my notes in Gregg shorthand. I even used them to keep my own detailed notes during jury duty. And, as a French major, I took the time necessary to learn Gregg's French version from a textbook I mail-ordered from Quebec. The only drawback was that, since my workmates knew about my shorthand, I got collared more often than was strictly fair to keep notes at meetings.
It sounds like your skill in Gregg shorthand has served you well in various aspects of your life! It’s impressive that you also learned the French version-what a unique and valuable skill to have. Shorthand is certainly one of those skills that has become less common with the advent of digital note-taking, but as you've experienced, it can still be incredibly useful. Do you think there's a place for teaching shorthand in today's educational landscape, perhaps as a way to enhance note-taking efficiency or privacy?
A lot of people have debt because they don’t know how to budget, and they don’t know how to budget because they don’t know how to balance a checkbook. Interestingly, it’s easier today to balance a checkbook then back in the olden days. You can just log into your checking account and see what your balance is. You can also see what your credit card balance is and compare the two. This beats having to wait until the statements arrived in the mail like in the good old days.
My son laughed at me for balancing my checkbook every two weeks. Then he had his car repossessed because he didn’t have enough money in the bank when his automatic payments went through. And we use a fax machine at our hospital all the time.
That's a poignant example of how some traditional practices, like balancing a checkbook, can offer crucial insights into financial management that newer methods may overlook. It's a valuable lesson in understanding and managing one's finances thoroughly. As for the fax machine, it's interesting how some technologies remain essential in specific contexts like healthcare. Do you think there are other "old-fashioned" practices or tools that people might undervalue but are actually still quite effective?
Absolutely, driving can truly open up the world in unique ways! It's all about the journeys and the freedom to explore. Do you have any favorite road trip memories
Cursive writing - I was watching a TH-cam Reaction video where a young woman (in her 20s) was watching Casablanca. There is a place in the movie where Elsa sends Rick a note, it is written in cursive letters. The young woman could not read the note! I think the reason they stopped teaching cursive writing is so they can produce generations that will not be able to look into the records of the past (try doing any research using old records without the ability to read cursive writing and you will be completely lost).
Ahh... Cursive! With the DNA testing fad and building family trees, it was essential that I learn *German cursive* -- which changed every 20-30 years. I got my surname back to 1475. It wasn't that hard.
All is not lost -- seems the kids are learning typing earlier than we did. 8th grade for me, and my typing was erratic as hell. Only a computer saved me at that endeavor. Bless my Backspace.
The spares I can answer. Tire technology has improved to the point that, unless you puncture it, a tire won't go flat. Tires used to blow out or go flat all of the time, but with better tires came the end of the need for spares. I have a full size spare in my car that I have never used. It comes out once a year for a pressure check.
One thing I miss is the Sears catalog, especially the Christmas catalog. Mom often ordered our presents through the catalog. And we pasted green stamps into booklets to save up for special items-every grocer gave you trading stamps. You redeemed them at the stamp store when the books were full.
I miss calling a doctor company phone or what ever and “one moment i’ll connect you “ Now it’s navigating with multiple choice question with more questions and a computer that can’t give a answer.
Microfiche was definitely cool! It's like a tiny window back in time, holding so much information in such a compact format. Do you remember what kind of information you used to look up on microfiche? It's fascinating to think about how we used to access archives and data compared to the digital searches of today.
@@AmericanVintageTales My 3rd grade class was introduced to it back in 1976. I was 8 or 9. The kid who sat next to me got information regarding canibus using the school Microfiche. The teachers and librarian frowned on him for that. Lol
@@AmericanVintageTales or you go to Mardi Gras in NOLA and have your phone pick pocketed and mailed to a fence in China. That was extremely common this Spring.
I'm a Gen X. I learned to cook, sew, & take care of little ones in Home Economics in junior high. Everything listed in this video, we also did. Not just the Baby boomers. Carpentry in highschool was called Building Trades. We had rotary dial phones, carbureted cars, TV's without remotes, we weren't allowed to lay up in the house, & play videogames on a nice day. We had paper road maps, no internet, no cell phones, & most of us had jobs before we were able to drive. There's still a lot of hard working kids out there. Anyway, we are a proud bunch. Gen X, Baby Boomers, War Babies., & so on. People can be bitter about the generations. But I happen to know people.my own age I can't tolerate. And those folks procreated. Thank them for their fish belly-white, basement dwelling, social cripples that they've produced. Not their generation. Cool video 👍🏼
@@allisonjones-lo6795Me too. I do think Baby Boomers had thicker skin than us kids. My folks were the hardest working two people I ever knew. Simpler times were great. Thirty years went by like a flash, smh. It's like the Twilight Zone anymore. I stick close to home! 😂
I did cursive writing, typing on a typewriter, memorized phone numbers and zip codes and rotary phones. A friend asked a number and I gave it to him, from my memory! Writing in a check ledger. I had to use relative's number, it came in handy! Rotary phone/push button models. I still memorize phone numbers(nearby) and zip codes(same thing). I also learned calligraphy! I made a jumpsuit in my teens, it was comfortable and snazzy!
Sewing is still a useful skill, just a small break in a seam, or a button coming off a garment would require finding someone to do the repairs or cause the item to go in the landfill...I made my living for over forty years, teaching adults to sew. The pleasure of making your own clothes or household items is so worth the effort for fit and the unique nature.
I had a side business sewing clothes, baby clothes, curtains, draperies, shower curtains, throw pillows, furniture cushion covers, comforters, dust ruffles, baby bedding. Even did a little car reupholstering. Clothing alterations/mending. Eyesight has gotten too bad now. Learned to sew standing beside my mom & watching her. Took home economics to learn to cook & for a substitute math class. (You know I aced the sewing part🤣)
There is discipline learned when writing in cursive. It forces a person to slow down, to think before writing, to deliberately have a purpose to write, and it teaches patience. None of which children today are equipped to handle, because the internet offers instant gratification. There is no room for slowing down when everything is so quick, and patience can't be learned when life moves so fast.
@@AmericanVintageTales you're welcome. I am an artist and was a teacher. Calligraphy, sumi painting and cursive all follow the same philosophy of mindfulness and controlled thinking. I taught cursive writing to my daughter as an art form, rather than as penmanship, because as a young child, she viewed things in loops and curves; rather than rigid form and function. There is beauty in cursive writing that has become a lost art. I only taught for three years, because the system is broken.
Really want to take your time --- use a goose quill. They are stout and make the best pens. Yes, a pen knife blade is the right shape and size for making and retrimming a goose wing feather into a pen. One thing, you have to slow down; quills will drag if you push them, so you must pull them through the letters. Steel pen nibs you can push with almost the facility of a ballpoint.
3:45 am PDT. The brain has a 2-way causal relationship with writing. It directs writing; then it acknowledges what it has expressed through the act of writing. You can find this better explained in scientific literature on education or brain functions. Anyway, when you're writing class notes or an essay draft, there's a whole bubbly kettle of active learning going on. Isn't that beautiful! It works better if you can write smoothly and quickly with consistent symbol representation. Usually, this means cursive. In addition to learning, cursive is an advantage in many areas of life. If i were one of those nutty types who believed there was a plot going on to keep the labor class in their place, poor and undereducated and resigned to low pay for unrewarding jobs, I would say that withdrawing cursive from the elementary curriculum was absolutely part of that plot. I really would.
:drum roll: You forgot being able to take shorthand. Took it for 2 years in High School, with an old teacher, who insisted that it would always be a needed skill. 🤣🤣
It seems so scary and sad that young people are being taught to be totally dependent on technology! They can't do anything without their phones telling them. What will they do if worse comes to worse and we are without all this technology either temporarily or more permently? All of us old boomers who have the knowledge on how to things themselves will be dead and they will be in a bad place. These skills are not useless.
Absolutely, it's concerning to see such heavy reliance on technology among younger generations. It's crucial to keep traditional skills alive, not only for practicality but also for resilience in unforeseen circumstances. Sharing your knowledge could make a significant difference. What's one skill you think is essential for everyone to learn?
i remember when people had social skills and could hold a conversation last summer i came across a 15yo boy that did not know how to fix a flat on his bicycle
I'm Gen X, and maybe I went to some old-fashioned schools, but I remember doing needlework and woodwork at school - although it was already starting to die out of the curriculum by the time I left full-time education. I also still do a lot of the other things listed in this video too (except those related to driving, since I don't drive.) And I'm literally knitting right now as I watch this video (it's kind of therapeutic, keeping my hands busy while I'm not doing much else with my body.) Just because you don't see people doing these things in Tiktok videos doesn't mean people aren't doing it at all!
I learned all the skills you mentioned as a child or young adult. My favorite was left out, shorthand. Nowadays, most people don’t even know what that is. Classes in school in my day included shorthand, typing (on the old Royals), car mechanics, health, sewing, cooking and more I’m sure I forgot. You couldn’t graduate high school in some states without having a foreign language under your belt or actually learning and testing on sports other than just playing them. Everyone had to learn who invented the games and how they evolved to what they were in that day. That included games like table tennis to swimming and everything in between. Now I know this wasn’t the case in all states, I just happened to be lucky.
I have to stop here and make a comment about sewing - boy are you so wrong! Women (and now many men) own at least one and some many sewing machines - we are quilters and he’s, there are still people,who sew clothing (I’m not one those) but millions of use are quilters!!! I personally own about 19 or so machines dated from 1926 through 2022)! And I can do everything you have mentioned so far - although check writing and keeping a register have long gone by the wayside! I feel very sorry for these young people,who can’t write cursive - among other supposedly lost things!!!
I have two friends who are quilters, and they sometimes stitch by hand. They claim that there’s a die hard faction of quilters who believe that “real quilts” are sewn by hand only. Can’t help but wonder if they prefer candles and oil lamps over electric lamps….
That's wonderful to hear! It sounds like you both have a great handle on these valuable skills. There's something incredibly satisfying about being able to rely on your own abilities for everyday tasks. Plus, it keeps those traditions alive and well for future generations to learn from.
I used Mom's. Started by making doll clothing. Was not long after I was making my own. First machine I was 16. But I would love to have Mom's machine. My sister has it. The stitches were and still are so even.
I still make most of my own clothes, and sewing is crucial for making curtains and draperies fit properly. GPS systems are not always reliable...Even most boomers did not learn how to properly read a map. I taught college for 20 years (technology, no less) and always told my students they STILL NEED TO KNOW HOW TO READ A MAP!!!
Anyone notice we dont talk on the phone anymore. When you get rid of your land line and realize your cell phone is used for everything except "talking" you start texting because it makes more sense.
The reason the Fallen Ones made them, is to turn us back to 2D. They are trying like hell to stop our evolution. We are our own technology, we don't need them, stop being so compliant, peoples.
At 54, I only talk on the phone if I absolutely have to, otherwise it is all down to emails and using my smartphone as an electronic ID device, payments, listening to music... anything really, except for talking.
I’m a 73 year old bloke and regularly use a sewing machine to replace broken zippers, holey pockets, doing hems, altering waist bands and often doing sewing repairs for my grandkids, my daughters can use sewing machines and I’m going to teach my grandchildren and greats how to use the machines as well. Sure does save heaps of time and money.
Yes,the good old days...that's what the teens nowadays needs to do besides looking for video games etc..not that I am against gaming but need something useful
When I went back to work after my kids entered school I saw immediately how out of date my skills were. Nobody cared if I could write cursive or use the fax machine. All of us who grew up in the pre- computer generation had to go thru two sets of learning and that is something the younger crowd will never understand.
@@AmericanVintageTales yeah. From not using cash, not repairing things and now we are having our cars drive for us we are losing our common sense. Even how we talk to each other on the Internet has no consequences so we are getting more rude to each other. :(
Yes, I can imagine the pride of having a great sewing machine and making many, many things myself. That ain’t no obsolete skill. I sew most days and I also drive a manual car.
I love maps and globes. I always got to be the navigator on family trips because I was map adept. Now I use AGPS like everyone else, but can still lose myself in an atlas.
WATCH 👉👉th-cam.com/video/eqGmgRj6OdI/w-d-xo.html ,15 Timeless Treasures Baby Boomers Will Never Forget
I’m a boomer, and more than half of these things are still a big part of my life. I still write in cursive, I can tell time on a clock with hands, and I can solve math problems without a calculator. I also drive a 3 speed on the floor.
It's great to see that you still hold on to these traditional skills!
I used to have a car with 6 speeds - sure do miss that RSX Type S Acura!!!
@@AmericanVintageTaleswhat do you mean by holding on to traditional skills? Can these young people even write their names in a contract?
I'm in the process of making a sewn outfit for a toddler Crocheting a blanket, knitting socks, and getting my garden ready to plant so I can dry, freeze, and can the food that comes from it. I also drive stick, check oil and handle other mechanical maintenance. I make hay and ride horses too. Obviously I live where I need to know this stuff. I'm also available to teach others for a price.
I made sure my son could drive a stick and could fly a plane with a tail wheel by the time he graduated from high school. I really miss shop classes.
"Fax machines are largely obsolete..."
Not true. Many Health Care Providers and Law Offices are still using them, because they are far, FAR harder to hack than a Computer.
It's surprising how fax machines are still holding their ground in some industries, right? The security aspect definitely makes sense!
In financial services they are still required for compliance reasons. I use them regularly, but now they are either part of a copier or connected to your computer. We don't have any stand alone fax machines.
As a programmer, I have converted image data to a fax image, so, it can be read by another part of the company, and printed using the fax machine. It's used for communication between two groups in the same company, where the image data has to be stored. Yes, pharmaceutical.
My old job at a veterinarian. Still had one last time I visited .
Right before I watched this I had called in a prescription and the pharmacy said the doctor will fax it over.
A few years ago my youngest son, having learned to write in cursive, figured out that if he wrote his schoolwork in cursive none of the other students could copy any of his work. The others did not know how to read or write cursive. Clever, that one... No cheating from his work!
👍👍👍
That's a clever use of cursive writing! It's interesting how what used to be a standard skill has now become a sort of secret code among those who can write and read it. Your son's strategic use of cursive not only protected his work but also highlights a unique advantage of knowing a skill that has become less common. It's a great example of how traditional skills can still have practical applications in today's world.
Did the teacher accept his homework written in cursive? First, the teacher may not be able to read it and second, many schools give students tablets to work on or require all homework and paper be typed. The last is why it’s so easy for plagiarism to flourish.
Bobscott1315 Brother Scott, Precious Son is a very, VERY smart young man indeed! He will go far!
@@judithkimmerling770 After a battle of wits with his parents(we are bothe engineers... go figure...) yes. It is not the fault of the student if the TEACHER cannot read his work. Other teachers were able to read his work with no problem. His Mom made sure he had VERY neat writing skills!
Also, at that time they were not issuing tablets to the students yet.
It's been proven that taking notes by hand improves comprehension. Cursive writing is easier and faster than printing. Cursive (connected writing) is just plain superior.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts! Handwriting notes in cursive can indeed be a game-changer.
I sent out Christmas cards to my young neighbors(Gen Y&Z), I wrote a personal note to each one. One of them asked my son what language did I write in, because they couldn't read a word. I was always told my penmanship was readable. I guess I didn't account for them not knowing cursive writing.
Cursive is actually slower than printing. We had to learn it in the 70’s but by the 80’s most teachers couldn’t read what we wrote so they asked us to print. Turned out I could print far faster than cursive. I can’t type as fast as I print so I feel like we have regressed now a days
@@OWG1969 How about that! 😃 I did a little test on myself just now, and printing was faster - I printed about 20% more words in one minute than I could write in cursive. One thing is for sure though - cursive is a lot less fatiguing. I had weakness in my hands for several years and I could only write cursive, not print (because of the constant lifting of the pencil).
Though I can do it on my computer, I find writing notes to be very effective, to learn facts!
When I can’t find a style I like, I am capable of making it. My sewing machine is essential. My car is stick shift, I crochet, I do basic repairs, balance my checkbook, and love maps. We use a map to find interesting places to visit.
When you are capable of balancing your checkbook, it means you're not going into debt.
Amen. Cheryl Wagner
Thank you for sharing your talents with us! It's inspiring to see someone so capable and creative.
Sharons5714 Lady Sharon, me too; wouldn't have anything but a manual shift, which is why I still drive my 2nd gen Dodge RAM1500 5-speed, and yes, purchased brand-new back in da day! Checkbook balancing- yup, always do that and Big foldable maps - no problem + actually prefer them. Cursive handwriting - yes, and with a good ol' fountain pen too, if the paper is good quality for it. ✒ ✒
I looked for a stick shift, couldn’t find one.
Pretty sure these “obsolete life skills” are more still more valuable than knowing how to twerk 1/2 naked on Tik Tok…..
Thank you for recognizing the value of these life skills! twerking on TikTok can't beat these timeless skills.
Yes, and certainly should not become obsolete. We need them now more than ever.
Exactly
Fuckin' A, as we old-timers say!
Telling time with a non- digital clock.
Over half of these are things people still do regularly and are not obsolete. They are still being done on a mass scale with most people having a functional degree of understanding and skill in most of these areas.
Thank you for recognizing the value of these timeless practices!
So... when everything collapses, these are going to be the skills we'll need to learn again... lol.
It's always good to be prepared for anything!
Just like the time traveler in HG Wells' "The Time Machine" when he returned to Weena and the Eloi to rebuild society after the Morlocks were defeated.
I learn to knit and crochet when I was 6 years old I am now absolutely love doing these crafts my whole life I also saw and can sew in society collapses I know I'll survive
❤!
Yes! Good luck millennials!!!!! Hahaha 😂 You’re on your own!!!!!!!
Knitting and crochet is a billion dollar industry with books, supples, and accessories, so we still out here learning it and teaching it, it's just we gotta do so on our own initiative now , rather than being taught in a schoolroom!
I’m an avid knitter; it’s a hobby now because few of us are going to freeze without a hand knit sweater. But yeah, lots of us still do it! (And wool sweaters are 1000 times better than anything man made!)
Thank you for sharing your passion for knitting! Hand-knit sweaters are truly special.
@@CornbreadOracleThank you! I’m a quilter and it’s also a billion dollar enterprise! I cannot knit or crochet - have tried and I’m truly hopeless with yard but I’m great with fabric and I can a,so hand embroider and hand appliqué! These video people have no clue for the most part about what they are saying (or I should say “what their AI are saying!”
My grandma taught herself to knit, learned to write knitting instructions and draw up patterns for sweaters and got a job doing that with a firm that published sweater patterns and directions---starting with the designer's sketch.
My father taught me how to knit. Grammy taught them all how to knit at age 10. If you wanted hats, mitts and scarves you had to knit them yourself.
He knit a jacket with hood for my first baby. She used it on her baby.
There are actually quite a few young people out there sewing now. Thrifting and altering . Very impressive skills.
Others sewing from fabric. Often old patterns. As an old sewer I find their work very impressive. Nice to see the skill kept on.
Looking at a map gives a greater overall understanding of a geographical area than just having a GPS tell you which specific turn to make.
Thanks for sharing your perspective! Maps are indeed invaluable for understanding the lay of the land.
We finally have a car with Sat Nav, but we use paper maps with it, because like you say the paper map gives you a greater overall understanding of the geographical area. For example with the paper maps I can literally count the number of intersections before we have to get off the motorway, rather than waiting for `in 100 yards…’. which is handy when traffic is heavy
My son can't find his way around the town he grew up in without his GPS. That's sad and I'm embarrassed as his mother.
I remember typing class in high school. 35 students banging away on old vintage
Remington's. The noise was overwhelming,
Remington’s what? I remember when people knew how to form a plural.
Wow, that must have been loud! Typing class sure had its own unique charm.
I remember that the letters were removed from the keys. There was no hunt and peck in typing class.
And no edit.
I was lousy at typing! Loved Shorthand though.
I did my student teaching in typing - about 40 students in each class! Yes, thst was a long time ago but typing on a computer is still necessary! I physically can’t do it “properly” anymore but it doesn’t mean I can’t use a typewriter! Young people don’t even realize that what they think is old fashioned just might come in handy someday - I truly feel sorry for them - and I guess geography, etc. isn’t taught in schools anymore either!
My mother worked evenings at an electronics factory, I was in Jr High and had complained about the typing class as my worst....the comant CEO happened to be there and he told me...."I run this company, and I type with two fingers and look at the keys"...
Im 60 and i still use some of these skills like balancing a checking account, writing in cursive, i can drive a manual( dont currently own one) or change my car oil. I can sew, not very well but my mother sewed and taght All her kids. I can crochet. I can cook and bake. Furniture repair..again not very good. We were always learning something. These days if you want to keep communication from younger eyes just write in cursive. I can read maps....topographical ones also...was taught in R.O.T.C. Boomers are smarter when it comes to personal skills...wish we could go back to 1970s teck so we didnt have to put up with todays b.s.
Thank you for sharing your experiences and the importance of traditional skills. It's a great reminder of the value in passing down knowledge through generations.
Use shorthand if you really want to frustrate the little snoops
If you are in an accident and you come to in the hospital with the question being asked repeatedly "What is your husband's phone number?" you realize, memorizing our loved ones' contact information is still an essential part of life.
So true! It's always important to have our loved ones' contact information memorized.
Did your cell phone got broken in the accident? Also back in the day, I had a little address/phone number book in my purse with family and friends numbers. I only memorized a few phone numbers.
@@lilykitty111"get the cell phone(s)" is not exactly a priority for the rescue services.
@@briansomething5987 True. Wonder if they'd grab the purse. Still even if you knew your husband's phone number, you might be unconscious. But it is a good idea to know a few loved ones phone numbers.
@@lilykitty111 Lady Mary, absolutely agree with you. Plus, I have always & still do have those vital phone #s written down on a prominent slip o f paper in my wallet.
I remember clipping coupons out of the newspaper (for actual food items, not just shampoo and razors) and saving Blue Chip and S&H Green Stamps, which could be redeemed for all sorts of things. I know how to set a table correctly, how to wash and dry dishes by hand and how to tie shoelaces, and I still have a landline, balance my checkbook and write cards, letters and grocery lists in cursive.
@pamelachristie5570
I remember green stamps and blue stamps too… pasting them into the books for something once you had enough stamps. If I remember correctly… in the catalog you could even get a VW Beetle…! I don’t remember how many books it took for that… but wondered if anyone was actually able to get enough for one.
A lot of things here are just being self reliant. Cursive writing… ✍️ is really not that difficult 😜
Absolutely on the landline!
I think half the fun is missing from being a grownup, now. Learning "how to" was a big part of that. Now we just use snaps, cards, and pushbuttons.
Every doctor's office still heavily relies on fax machines believe it or not.
Yes and hospitals.
Thanks for pointing that out! It's interesting how technology evolves differently in various fields.
@@AmericanVintageTales 👍😊
Finance industry too.
I was a healthcare privacy and security officer for a large network for many years. All the clinics and hospitals we served used fax. It's far more secure than email. There are huge HIPAA fines if you breach a patients privacy. So the fax is vital to help ensure patient privacy and avoid fines that can go into the millions.
Balancing a checkbook is a skill that is a must for financial independence. I am shocked at the number of people who do not know how, just use their "plastic", and don't know how to stop those overdraft fees. Then they can't figure out why they can't pay their bills.
Thank you for highlighting the importance of balancing a checkbook. It's a fundamental financial skill that everyone should master.
I don’t think a lot of people truly understand how credit cards work.
I recently stopped balancing my cheque book (Canadian spelling) by hand only because my bank no longer offers cheque registers to its customers.
@@Lava1964 Hey now, that really sucks. One of us here reading all of this should send you one! To be serious though, the quality of paper used these days in manufacturing check-registers is pretty horrible, so you're not really missing out on a lot? Yes, I still balance my checkbook, but I forgo the low-quality check registers, & instead use good quality full-size notepad paper (with simple lines hand drawn) for accomplishing this very necessary task. ✒ ✒
@@Lava1964 But please tell me that you still check _(and that can't be spelt any other way)_ your account balances to ensure that there aren't any "unexpected" withdrawals.
I got caught that way once...
I must have missed the time when changing the oil and carpentry became obsolite. Balancing a checkbook took no more than the ability to add and subtract. In many cases the skills are not obsolete, just things we let specialists do. Using a sliderule is obsolite.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts! It's important to remember the value of traditional skills even as technology advances.
If you consider these useless or obsolete, that's pretty sad. While you are sitting at the side of the road lost and crying because your phone died or your gps doesn't work, the rest of us will be driving because we can read a map. And I can sew my button back on my shirt for free, I don't have to buy a new one or pay someone to fix it for me. And I can actually sign my name on things because I know cursive writing, I don't have to print it out in block letters like a child does. But I guess I am weird, you can toss these useless skills in the box with other skills that the modern generation considers useless like being able to do math, knowing grammer and proper spelling 😂
Dude, you're totally right! Who needs Google Maps when you can navigate with a paper map like a boss?
Navigate like a pirate paper maps are getting hard to come by
I always carry a map when I am on a road trip to an area I don't know personally.
I was the passenger in a car with a young woman using GPS. The problem is GPS can take you the wrong way. So you want to have some idea where you are.
We were suppose to be heading south, but we were going east. Told her we were going in the wrong direction.
She wonder why I was so sure.
It was simple. Driving south the sun should have been setting to my right. It was setting behind us.
I always look up routes before going anywhere new and I carry paper maps. Just in case.
@@dawnelder9046 lol quick story, my daughter had a gps that hadn't been udated for a while (its expensive) We spent 6 hrs driving around Chicago and missing our exit because when GPS told us to turn we were already past that exit. I finally figured out that Chicago had moved the exits and her GPS didn't 'know' that and ordered her to turn when the GPS said in 600', we managed to get the rest of the way with my map.
I'm imagining a calligraphy devotee sharing beers and tears with a cursive holdout.
Taught my grandkids cursive writing.... They absolutely Love it! It's like our own " secret" message.
My life skill was silently getting up from the plastic- wrapped sofa in the forbidden to children formal living room.
Thank you for sharing that memory with us, it brought a smile to my face.
lol yes, and on a hot day the other part of that was making sure you didn't leave your skin back there on the sofa, too...
I have taught my children to be self sufficient . That is a skill that is never outdated. That includes maintenance and repair and the ability to do dirty jobs that are seemingly beneath too many . If things go to pot they will not be useless eaters.
I learned on a "3 on the tree". Was definitely a fun and challenging memory. I really love this channel!
That's such a cool memory! "3 on the tree" transmissions are definitely a nostalgic part of automotive history. What's another life skill from the baby boomer era that you think should make a comeback, or are there any other skills you learned that feel like a lost art today? Thanks for sharing your thoughts, and I'm thrilled to hear you love the channel!
That dear old Chevy farm truck!
Hospitals and other business still use fax machines.
Considering todays stupid fast fashion it is good to know how to use a sewing machine.
Rinace13, drove my 1st "3-on-the-Tree" back in a summer in between college semesters, while working at a dry cleaning plant and driving the 3-Tree delivery-van. Since my car at college was a 4-on-the-floor manual, not too much of a problem transitioning to the 3-Tree, but I gotta admit, it was just a lil different?
Learned to drive in a Rambler with 3 on the tree!
I feel sorry for this generation if our country is ever attacked by an electromagnetic pulse, or if we ever face a grid down situation. My son who lives hundreds of miles away called home recently to say that his cellphone had stopped working and he couldn't find his house! He wanted his mother to help him.
how long had he lived there? With no phone booths, how did he call with no cell phone? Where did he get the phone he used and couldn't that person give him directions? sad
@@KarmicSalt okay, maybe I didn't explain enough. He has only lived there for a short time. He went out camping with some friends, each in their own vehicle. On his way back to his house, his phone crashed. People should at least know how to find north, south, east, and west, that US interstate even numbers run east to west, odd numbers north to south, mile markers indicate the number of miles to the state border, and what highways are near their home.
Congrats…you raised an idiot.
Thanks for sharing these navigation tips! They could be really useful in unexpected situations.
@AmericanVintageTales I used to think everyone knew these things. At one time, nearly everyone did. Find east and west at night by the moon? If the moon is in crescent, and it's morning, bisect the crescent. The line pointing to the horizon will land approximately east. In the evening, the line will indicate approximately west. If it's a full moon near the horizon in the morning, west will be at your back as you face the moon. In the evening, east will be at your back. It's not exact, and it helps if you adjust for the time of year, but I've used this method many times.
When out hiking, judge how much daylight you have left with your fingers. Raise your hands at arm's length to the horizon under the sun as it comes close to setting. I have small hands, but one finger between the horizon and the bottom edge of the sun is about 7 1/2 minutes before the sun sets. After the sun sets, you will have about 15 to 20 minutes of useful light (not necessarily so in mountainous terrain) to set up camp. Everyone should know these things. Probably the most useful knot you might ever need to know is one called a truckers hitch. You can learn it on TH-cam. When I was in USMC boot camp, I could have earned money from the rest of the squad bay when they found out I could sew a torn shirt and make the tear almost disappear.
My mother made all my clothes until I was in high school, then it became a mix. My mothers were always better because they were tailored to me.
We were on a 4 party line phone so you had to listen for your particular ring sequence for a call.
I learned typing on an older model manual type writer. I can still hear the ring of the bell at the end of the line and the ziiing of the carriage as you used the manual carriage return.
It sounds like you have some truly cherished memories from that era! Handmade clothes and manual typewriters definitely bring a personal touch that's rare today. How do you think these skills have influenced the way you see modern conveniences? Also, do you miss anything about the simpler times when technology was less pervasive? Thanks for sharing these wonderful stories!
@@AmericanVintageTales I'm 76 so yes, I do have a lot of good memories of those times. The ringer washer and the cement tub with built in scrubber channels, cars that you could see a block away and know the make, model and year of it. All the kids I knew did all the work on their cars. Yes, I do miss t lot from those days. People were more relaxed and took life as it came whereas now, everybody is in a hurry to get somewhere. There is very little patience now and I think technology has played a major roll in it.
I sewed my kids clothes, too.
I've always thought that one should know how to read a map and use a compass before being given access to a GPS system. Analog will always be there when digital fails.
It used to be that older people knew stuff that young people needed to know. I spent hours with my grandmother and her sewing machine, designing & making dolls' clothes. She wasn't obsolete, she was my rock when I was a teen. My brother and Dad were a team: tools, cars, and boats. Kids made real contrib- unions to family well-being. Was mental health better for it?
What a beautiful reflection on the valuable skills and emotional support your family provided! It seems like those hands-on experiences with your grandmother and the teamwork between your brother and dad not only taught practical skills but also fostered a strong sense of purpose and belonging. There's a lot to be said about the mental health benefits of feeling connected and useful within one's family. How do you think these experiences compare to the way skills and family roles are shared today?
My ma broke down and cried when a grotesquely-ornamental piece of her grandmother's bone china broke (thank goodness I didn't do it). It was in the late 1960s when I was about 13 at the time & thought, "Damn! It's just a plate - & besides, you've still got five more just like it!" Ever since, such severe attachment to THINGS is something I completely avoid.
My adult son has a very successful upholstery business, which he learned in high school. I started out as a secretary/ steno and retired as a medical transcriptionist. All learned in public schools.
Wow, who would have thought we'd both end up with such cool jobs from what we learned in school!
Those working branch offices for AAA had to learn to read maps upside down so the client on the other side of the counter could have the map right side up.
I love this video and possess most of the skills mentioned, including doing minor car repairs, making my own clothing, writing in cursive, reading maps (I navigated all of our vacation trips when the kids were young). I have hung doors, laid ceramic tile floors (including putting a subfloor under it), and balancing the checkbook. All these skills and I took care of the house, as well. Truthfully, I was no different than any other housewife; most of us had mad skills when it came to actual living...and that included taking care of minor injuries. The only "fine china" we ever had in our house was what my dad collected by going to the movies on the night they were giving it away...piece by piece, week after week. We had complete service for eight along with vegetable bowls and even a soup tureen! With age, the glaze cracked and it wasn't safe to use them anymore. After mom died, they wound up being thrown away.
It sounds like you've truly mastered a wide array of practical skills and played a pivotal role in managing and maintaining your household-truly impressive! Your experience really showcases the versatility and resilience that were common in past generations. It's also a lovely memory about the china set collected from movie nights, adding a unique touch to the family heritage, even if it didn’t last forever. Do you find yourself passing on any of these skills to others in your community or family? How do they react to learning these traditional skills?
Mom made almost all my shirts when I was a kid, I can remember during the summer at my grandparents my aunts around the sewing machine every night. Thet recently cleaned out my aunts house and found boxes of material that hadn't been used
I still keep a road atlas, because I usually like to drive on the roads less traveled and the GPS always wants to take you on the interstates. I mainly use my GPS as a heads up display to show me speed time on the road, and mileage.
The joke used to be you the last test before you got your license was to be given an unfolded road map and you had to get folded correctly
Every year, the 2nd graders from our local elementary school visit our local museum. They are introduced to churning butter, grinding corn, dial phones, typewriters, telegraph, etc.
That sounds like a fun trip! Bet the kids had a blast learning about all those old-school items!
@@AmericanVintageTales The adults have just as much fun with the kids. Kids do wonder how you send pictures with a dial phone.
I started teaching cursive to the 12th graders. Nearly everyone picked it up really quickly. They squawked for 10 seconds, then learned it was no big deal. Some even had really gorgeous penmanship. I should think one's signature ought to be cursive.
German nuns taught us cursive when I was a small child. Penmanship was a big deal and we had to practice alot. When someone signed a government document with printing (instead of cursive), we had to write "regular signature is printed" next to it....I'm 70 so I don't know what they do now ? Is printing your name as signature accepted ?
With the exception of knitting, I mastered all of these skills along the way. My ability to do carpentry or fix things is limited more by my declining physical abilities than the knowledge I possess. The only thing I wish we still had was the phone book. The ease it was to find the name and address of anybody in your community is hard to express and very much missed.
Keeping a checkbook was a better way to check your bank balance. My parents used to have Triple AAA make a trip plan for them with a map to a place many states away. My Dad drove while my mother helped to read the navigation on the prepared map. I used Mapquest in the 2000s before getting a GPS unit for my car. Loving the smartphones that not only play music, but show the way to my destination even if I take a detour. I still use cursive because it's faster and, of course, prettier than block letters. I am a slow typist, and 65wpm is really pushing it. In the 3rd grade, I learned to tell time, which meant learning some new language phrases like quarter to and half past for example
Thank you for sharing your experiences and nostalgia with us!
But you would have heard "It's a quarter to nine" or "It's half past three" or "It's a quarter past midday" or similar all your life until then... You just learnt, more precisely, what they meant.
Most people can't even read a map
So true, not everyone can navigate the old-school way with a good ol' map!
CAN'T EVEN READ , THANKS TO PUBLIC SCHOOL EDUCATION .
I can read the old maps, but I cannot read a Google Map. Nor do I choose to be led around by GPS. Don't people wonder what they'll do when the internet goes down, and it will, it has to, to save humanity from themselves, or the Globalists actuallly, as they are NOT human.
Most people can't even fold a map.
Like the orienteering bit with him using the map in correlation with the compass.
Bet most people cant even use one of those
In the film Murphy's Romance, Murphy was talking about his skills which included sewing anything there was which had a Buttrick pattern. James Garner and Sally Field were delightful in the film!
Murphy's Romance" is a charming film, and James Garner's portrayal of Murphy as a jack-of-all-trades who can sew anything with a Buttrick pattern adds such a wonderful layer to his character. It's a great example of how diverse skills can be celebrated and valued in storytelling.
@@AmericanVintageTales Haven't seen the film but that's an eye opener. Usually any guy who was good at sewing was looked upon as having a dubious (for the time) sexual preference.
Looking at the sewing part of this, you'll notice no men or boys, likewise for the mechanic, carpenter jobs etc, just boys and men.
Genders had specific types of jobs 'assigned' to them. Even when I started working in the late 1980's that was still the case. You can still see it in tv shows and films today even.
@@Thenogomogo-zo3un
Sewing is heavily involved in Upholstery, which as any Hank Hill aficionado can attest is one of the "Five original industrial arts". Very Manly!
@@CEOBrien 'Riggers' sailors who fix sails etc.
Tailors, still, has a questionable gender preference.
I still remember friends phone numbers from 55 years ago, but don't know anyones anymore.... sometimes I need to think about my own number.
I keep a list of important numbers in my wallet, just in case I bust or loose my phone.
It's great that you've found a solution to not having the numbers handy when needed.
Me too. My joke is to say, “ Sorry, I have to look it up, I just don’t call myself much any more!’
People used to know life skills and work skills. Kids watched their parents fix things ,cook,clean,garden,preserve food,hunt,fish,take care of livestock now very few people are trained in the skilled labors such as carpentry,plumbing,mechanics and electrical. You have to pay an arm and a leg if you can find anyone willing to do the labor. So called improved is not necessarily better.
Thank you for sharing your thoughts on the decline of traditional skills. It's a reminder of the importance of passing down these valuable abilities to maintain self-sufficiency.
My great grandmother was the trusted midwife for the neighborhood. She would transfer the patient to the kitchen table because it was easier to clean up. Mom either delivered the baby and lived or both died. No C sections. Lots of maternal mortality in those days.
I always teach the ‘littles’ in my family odd things that were common in the 60s when I grew up. They are amazed and truly interested to learn about these things. It’s fun watching their eyes grow large with a wow!
I learned to sew in the 60's and 70's...and sew very well, which I continue to do. This is not an outdated skill as I have fixed everything from clothing, replacing zippers, to backpacks. In many cases, it helps me to do alterations for clothing or items that don't fit well after ordering, or when needs change.
Interesting. I'm a Boomer and while maybe 4 or 5 these are skills I used (phone book, card catalog, cursive writing, checkbooks, and maps...) Most of the rest belonged to my parents generation, or as described for later generations, more of a hobby or special interest. We would all be better off if we could do auto repair, carpentry, sewing....but who has time.
That’s a really good point. Many of the skills that were once everyday necessities have shifted into the realm of hobbies or special interests due to changes in technology and lifestyle. The time factor is significant; modern life often doesn't allow much room for learning and practicing these skills extensively, unless one specifically makes time for them. It’s a balancing act between modern conveniences and the rewarding nature of these hands-on skills. Do you think there are ways to integrate these useful skills into daily life more seamlessly, or perhaps as part of educational programs?
A lot of what you say here is true, but there IS one problem: All those Modern Conveniences you mention are only Good when the Technology is Available. And they'll only work if your battery hasn't run out.
I appreciate your perspective on the topic, it's important to consider the limitations of modern conveniences.
I was born in 1949 and out of all the items covered the only one I miss is the stick shift. All the rest, don't miss them at all!
Thanks for sharing your perspective and memories with us!❤
Stick shift is fun for a sports car you don't drive everyday, but as a daily driver it's more trouble than it's worth.
I still drive a stick! Love the feel of actually DRIVING a car.
@@barnettmcgowan8978it’s muscle memory, the only thing is when you eat while driving and you have to master the art of starting in 3rd gear using just the clutch.
Love my manual Miata
My Mother was a home economics minor in college (elementary education -major) so she mastered all the skills in the video witht the exception of driving with a stick shirt and using power tools. Thanks for the memories.
That is awesome!
Cursive writing needs to be taught. It's quicker than hen scratch printing.
Thank you for emphasizing the importance of cursive writing. It really is a valuable skill!
Damn right!!!!!
For me, typing is faster than writing, but you can't type a math formula on a standard computer keyboard, especially once calculus gets involved.
Even if you don’t write checks, you still should reconcile the checking account monthly. That is how I find fraudulent charges, old subscriptions I should cancel, things we shouldn’t spend money on etc.
I’m GenX (68). I remember all this. I still have a road atlas, still write in cursive, still remember phone numbers from, The Time Before,still know how to can, learned to sew on a push peddle from my Grandmother (Greatest Gen), can drive a stick, chsnge my tire, and can also use todays technology. All these “analog” skills should still be taught. It possible we may need them. Nothing is certain.
It's amazing to see how many skills and memories we carry from the past into the present!
@@AmericanVintageTales indeed it is!
If you're 68, you're a Boomer.
Gen X were born between 1965 and 1980. If you were born in 1968, your Gen X. If you are 68 years old, you are a boomer.
I certainly can drive stick, way cheaper to rent a manual car in Europe :)
As a child I did not like laundry day -- I HAD TO FACE THE MANGLER, oh the horror. It would eat you as well as the clothing, Putting a bed sheet through the mangle was a life threatening event.
Thanks for sharing your childhood laundry day experience! It's always fun to reminisce about the challenges we faced growing up.
I remember it for all the buckets of water that had to be carried. Not only into the house. But dirty water had to be carried out in buckets too. The only thing I could hope for was that we had enough rainwater in the rain barrels. If not it was all trips to the well.
I helped my grandma do laundry with her wringer washer. When it broke after 40 years she refused a new washer but insisted on another wringer model.
OMG have heard horror stories about that thing. Yes, so easy for hands to get caught as sheets and clothes were put through that contraption. I’ve never actually seen one myself.
@@joannestark3023 You fortunate to have not had to face the horror.
Oh I HATED balancing my checkbook!! I could never get it to come out right. I was so glad when debit cards replaced checkbooks. But I still write in cursive. And I sew. I can make my own clothes but I mostly quilt. My first car was a 3 speed on the column. I still remember the smell of my grandpas woodwork shop. ❤
It sounds like you've had quite a journey with different skills and experiences! It's interesting how certain tasks like balancing a checkbook can be frustrating, while others, like sewing or recalling the scent of your grandpa's woodwork shop, bring such warm memories. Quilting is such a beautiful art form-do you have any favorite patterns or themes you like to work with in your quilts? And driving a 3-speed on the column must have been an adventure!
@AmericanVintageTales It was actually not that hard to drive. I bought it my senior year in college bc it was cheap. I had learned to drive a stick a couple of years earlier in a borrowed 69 Volkswagen Carmen Ghia. 😂 I love all kinds of quilt patterns but mostly the traditional ones. Not so much the modern designs. I've made quilts for almost everyone in my family. Since I retired, it's become my job. 😂
Everyone in our household has some key phone numbers and addresses memorized. It was needed a couple of times when phone screens cracked, was not charged, or stolen and they needed to call for help.
It's always good to have important numbers memorized just in case!
I'm a 63 yo woman. I'm able to do some basic carpentry, can change oil, gap a spark plug and change a tire, but prefer not to.
I enjoy crocheting, but mainly just make baby blankets for charity.
I still balance my check book.
I can do some basic sewing.
I can and freeze as much as I can. I even make my own maple syrup!
Since I'm a widow, I'm glad I don't have to use a road map whenever I go away. It's easier with 2 people.
You Rock!
Thank you for sharing your talents and kindness with the world.❤❤❤
My dad was from the silent generation, the one before the boomers, a jack-of-all-trades. He was still changing his own oil at 84 years old. I was born late in his life, a gen-X kid, but I grew up learning the essentials and thank my lucky stars for it because when the grid crashes, a country boy will survive.
I traveled extensively in my job. Drove through many major cities with nothing but a paper map and hand written notes. Damn. Memerized all phone numbers. 3 on the column with a clutch and no air but windows down. Damn. Baseball at the town field on weekends. Everybody was there. Damn. Sinatra: There used to be a ballpark right there....
Thank you for sharing your nostalgic journey with us. It's amazing to hear about your experiences.
4:06 was a great choice. That lady had that car for an incredible number of years, something like 50 years, if I recall correctly. She bought it new when she was a young lady and kept good care of it, respect. I check most of the boxes in this video. The three-on-the-tree could pop out of sorts, you had to know how to put the linkage back in alignment at the bottom of the firewall where the shifter linkage passed through along with the steering column. Map reading could go wrong. One time I estimated we had a 3 hour drive ahead of us. I had used the wrong map scale, we actually had a 6 hour drive ahead of us. We still made it to my sister's wedding on time, but just in time.
I STill miss card catalogues. I remember a ‘road trip’ to the main library to teach my son how to use one. (I also taught him how to drive. 🤗 )
That's such a cool memory! Teaching card catalogues and driving in one go-way to make it an adventure!
The good ‘ol’ Dewey Decimal System!!!!
NaturalPaths, me too! But I do know of one of the reasons card-catalogues were done away with? My last year of college, I worked part-time in the university library, and I can still remember coming across "torn-out" library index cards in many areas of "the stacks" (< library-term for multiple shelving areas on multiple floors), obviously as a result of some lazy jerk of a student(s) who didn't care about anyone else. Sad isn't it? But yes, the good ol' card-catalogue; always thought of them as the best!
Definitely navigating with a paper map- taking the “road less traveled”. Asking directions and traveling the back roads!
Navigating with a paper map definitely adds an element of adventure and discovery to travel that GPS just can't match. There's something special about unfolding a map and plotting your route, perhaps stumbling upon hidden gems along the way. Do you have a favorite "off the beaten path" place you've discovered through your map adventures?
These are things people living in grandmas basement can't or won't do!
It's true, sometimes we all need a little push to step out of our comfort zones!
Admittedly, I use it a lot less these days, but (as a student, teacher and librarian) I was very grateful to be able to jot down my notes in Gregg shorthand. I even used them to keep my own detailed notes during jury duty. And, as a French major, I took the time necessary to learn Gregg's French version from a textbook I mail-ordered from Quebec. The only drawback was that, since my workmates knew about my shorthand, I got collared more often than was strictly fair to keep notes at meetings.
It sounds like your skill in Gregg shorthand has served you well in various aspects of your life! It’s impressive that you also learned the French version-what a unique and valuable skill to have. Shorthand is certainly one of those skills that has become less common with the advent of digital note-taking, but as you've experienced, it can still be incredibly useful. Do you think there's a place for teaching shorthand in today's educational landscape, perhaps as a way to enhance note-taking efficiency or privacy?
I still balance my checkbook.
That's great to hear! It's always good to have a handle on your finances.
A lot of people have debt because they don’t know how to budget, and they don’t know how to budget because they don’t know how to balance a checkbook. Interestingly, it’s easier today to balance a checkbook then back in the olden days. You can just log into your checking account and see what your balance is. You can also see what your credit card balance is and compare the two. This beats having to wait until the statements arrived in the mail like in the good old days.
So do I, but I do it on my computer.
Mel too.
My son laughed at me for balancing my checkbook every two weeks. Then he had his car repossessed because he didn’t have enough money in the bank when his automatic payments went through. And we use a fax machine at our hospital all the time.
That's a poignant example of how some traditional practices, like balancing a checkbook, can offer crucial insights into financial management that newer methods may overlook. It's a valuable lesson in understanding and managing one's finances thoroughly. As for the fax machine, it's interesting how some technologies remain essential in specific contexts like healthcare. Do you think there are other "old-fashioned" practices or tools that people might undervalue but are actually still quite effective?
Driving is freedom to the world. Today teens think driving is a chore as it takes them away from their phones. So sad.
Absolutely, driving can truly open up the world in unique ways! It's all about the journeys and the freedom to explore. Do you have any favorite road trip memories
Cursive writing - I was watching a TH-cam Reaction video where a young woman (in her 20s) was watching Casablanca. There is a place in the movie where Elsa sends Rick a note, it is written in cursive letters. The young woman could not read the note! I think the reason they stopped teaching cursive writing is so they can produce generations that will not be able to look into the records of the past (try doing any research using old records without the ability to read cursive writing and you will be completely lost).
Yes, or our Bill of Rights, and the Constitution.
Thank you for sharing your thoughts on the importance of cursive writing. It's sad to see this skill fading away.
Ahh... Cursive! With the DNA testing fad and building family trees, it was essential that I learn *German cursive* -- which changed every 20-30 years. I got my surname back to 1475. It wasn't that hard.
In the San Francisco court system, cases prior to 1980 were entered in ledgers by hand by the court clerk.
All is not lost -- seems the kids are learning typing earlier than we did. 8th grade for me, and my typing was erratic as hell. Only a computer saved me at that endeavor. Bless my Backspace.
Don’t worry tic toc you tube will all be irrelevant one day as well
God willing.
True, but let's enjoy the ride while it lasts!
After the EMP bomb from Iran returns us to the 1880s.
@@Dannysoutherner or a post apocalyptic world
Dash-mounted ignition switches, floor-mounted high beam switches, full-size spare tires, and bumper jacks. Where have they all gone?
The spares I can answer. Tire technology has improved to the point that, unless you puncture it, a tire won't go flat. Tires used to blow out or go flat all of the time, but with better tires came the end of the need for spares. I have a full size spare in my car that I have never used. It comes out once a year for a pressure check.
I remember using floor mounted starter buttons. The 1941 Studebaker had the starter button under the clutch pedal.
@@michaelbujaki2462 Tyres still go flat. Only takes one nail and you've got a problem.
I think cursive is a funny word. It was called penmanship when I was in school.
Haha, cursive does sound a bit fancy. Penmanship sounds more old-school cool!
It should still be called penmanship, because cursive is just one style of writing. In England we generally learned Copperplate.
One thing I miss is the Sears catalog, especially the Christmas catalog. Mom often ordered our presents through the catalog. And we pasted green stamps into booklets to save up for special items-every grocer gave you trading stamps. You redeemed them at the stamp store when the books were full.
I miss calling a doctor company phone or what ever and “one moment i’ll connect you “ Now it’s navigating with multiple choice question with more questions and a computer that can’t give a answer.
I appreciate your comment! It's nice to reminisce about simpler times.
I remember microfiche. That was kinda cool. Lol
Microfiche was definitely cool! It's like a tiny window back in time, holding so much information in such a compact format. Do you remember what kind of information you used to look up on microfiche? It's fascinating to think about how we used to access archives and data compared to the digital searches of today.
@@AmericanVintageTales My 3rd grade class was introduced to it back in 1976. I was 8 or 9. The kid who sat next to me got information regarding canibus using the school Microfiche. The teachers and librarian frowned on him for that. Lol
Memorizing phone numbers was proven a valuable life skill on The Office, when Michael Scott was stranded at a gas station without his phone.
Maybe I should start memorizing phone numbers in case I end up like Michael Scott at a gas station one day!
@@AmericanVintageTales or you go to Mardi Gras in NOLA and have your phone pick pocketed and mailed to a fence in China. That was extremely common this Spring.
Quite common to have memorised about 5-10 phone numbers up until the cell phones started really coming in around the mid '90's onwards.
I'm a Gen X. I learned to cook, sew, & take care of little ones in Home Economics in junior high. Everything listed in this video, we also did. Not just the Baby boomers. Carpentry in highschool was called Building Trades. We had rotary dial phones, carbureted cars, TV's without remotes, we weren't allowed to lay up in the house, & play videogames on a nice day. We had paper road maps, no internet, no cell phones, & most of us had jobs before we were able to drive. There's still a lot of hard working kids out there. Anyway, we are a proud bunch. Gen X, Baby Boomers, War Babies., & so on. People can be bitter about the generations. But I happen to know people.my own age I can't tolerate. And those folks procreated. Thank them for their fish belly-white, basement dwelling, social cripples that they've produced. Not their generation. Cool video 👍🏼
I am so glad your generation had a chance to learn these skills! You can survive the world we are in now!
@@allisonjones-lo6795Me too. I do think Baby Boomers had thicker skin than us kids. My folks were the hardest working two people I ever knew. Simpler times were great. Thirty years went by like a flash, smh. It's like the Twilight Zone anymore. I stick close to home! 😂
I did cursive writing, typing on a typewriter, memorized phone numbers and zip codes and rotary phones. A friend asked a number and I gave it to him, from my memory! Writing in a check ledger. I had to use relative's number, it came in handy! Rotary phone/push button models. I still memorize phone numbers(nearby) and zip codes(same thing). I also learned calligraphy! I made a jumpsuit in my teens, it was comfortable and snazzy!
Sewing is still a useful skill, just a small break in a seam, or a button coming off a garment would require finding someone to do the repairs or cause the item to go in the landfill...I made my living for over forty years, teaching adults to sew. The pleasure of making your own clothes or household items is so worth the effort for fit and the unique nature.
Thank you for sharing your experience! It's inspiring to hear about your passion for teaching sewing.
I had a side business sewing clothes, baby clothes, curtains, draperies, shower curtains, throw pillows, furniture cushion covers, comforters, dust ruffles, baby bedding. Even did a little car reupholstering. Clothing alterations/mending. Eyesight has gotten too bad now. Learned to sew standing beside my mom & watching her. Took home economics to learn to cook & for a substitute math class. (You know I aced the sewing part🤣)
UK schools still teach cursive
UK schools keeping the art of cursive alive while the rest of the world is rapidly typing away!
There is discipline learned when writing in cursive. It forces a person to slow down, to think before writing, to deliberately have a purpose to write, and it teaches patience.
None of which children today are equipped to handle, because the internet offers instant gratification. There is no room for slowing down when everything is so quick, and patience can't be learned when life moves so fast.
Thank you for highlighting the importance of cursive writing skills and the values it instills in individuals. Your insight is truly valuable.
@@AmericanVintageTales you're welcome.
I am an artist and was a teacher. Calligraphy, sumi painting and cursive all follow the same philosophy of mindfulness and controlled thinking. I taught cursive writing to my daughter as an art form, rather than as penmanship, because as a young child, she viewed things in loops and curves; rather than rigid form and function. There is beauty in cursive writing that has become a lost art.
I only taught for three years, because the system is broken.
Really want to take your time --- use a goose quill. They are stout and make the best pens. Yes, a pen knife blade is the right shape and size for making and retrimming a goose wing feather into a pen.
One thing, you have to slow down; quills will drag if you push them, so you must pull them through the letters. Steel pen nibs you can push with almost the facility of a ballpoint.
Ohhhh, the card catalogues! I was a nerd that spent half my free time in the library. I Hinkle I can still smell the cataloged
3:45 am PDT. The brain has a 2-way causal relationship with writing. It directs writing; then it acknowledges what it has expressed through the act of writing. You can find this better explained in scientific literature on education or brain functions. Anyway, when you're writing class notes or an essay draft, there's a whole bubbly kettle of active learning going on. Isn't that beautiful! It works better if you can write smoothly and quickly with consistent symbol representation. Usually, this means cursive. In addition to learning, cursive is an advantage in many areas of life.
If i were one of those nutty types who believed there was a plot going on to keep the labor class in their place, poor and undereducated and resigned to low pay for unrewarding jobs, I would say that withdrawing cursive from the elementary curriculum was absolutely part of that plot. I really would.
Hey, thanks for dropping such an interesting comment! It's cool to see someone so passionate about writing and cursive. Keep sharing your thoughts!
:drum roll: You forgot being able to take shorthand. Took it for 2 years in High School, with an old teacher, who insisted that it would always be a needed skill. 🤣🤣
Thanks for sharing your experience with shorthand. It's always great to hear different perspectives.
It seems so scary and sad that young people are being taught to be totally dependent on technology! They can't do anything without their phones telling them. What will they do if worse comes to worse and we are without all this technology either temporarily or more permently? All of us old boomers who have the knowledge on how to things themselves will be dead and they will be in a bad place. These skills are not useless.
Absolutely, it's concerning to see such heavy reliance on technology among younger generations. It's crucial to keep traditional skills alive, not only for practicality but also for resilience in unforeseen circumstances. Sharing your knowledge could make a significant difference. What's one skill you think is essential for everyone to learn?
i remember when people had social skills and could hold a conversation last summer i came across a 15yo boy that did not know how to fix a flat on his bicycle
Thanks for sharing your experience! It's a reminder of how important it is to pass on practical skills to the next generation.
Sad
My Dad showed me how to use a dinner fork as a tyre lever, Mum was not impressed.
I'm Gen X, and maybe I went to some old-fashioned schools, but I remember doing needlework and woodwork at school - although it was already starting to die out of the curriculum by the time I left full-time education. I also still do a lot of the other things listed in this video too (except those related to driving, since I don't drive.) And I'm literally knitting right now as I watch this video (it's kind of therapeutic, keeping my hands busy while I'm not doing much else with my body.) Just because you don't see people doing these things in Tiktok videos doesn't mean people aren't doing it at all!
Thank you for sharing your experience! It's wonderful to hear that these traditional skills are still cherished and practiced.
I can garden and be self sufficient, could survive in the wilderness. These days kids get lost around a city corner without GPS
Totally agree, being self-sufficient is a rare and valuable trait these days!
I learned all the skills you mentioned as a child or young adult. My favorite was left out, shorthand. Nowadays, most people don’t even know what that is. Classes in school in my day included shorthand, typing (on the old Royals), car mechanics, health, sewing, cooking and more I’m sure I forgot. You couldn’t graduate high school in some states without having a foreign language under your belt or actually learning and testing on sports other than just playing them. Everyone had to learn who invented the games and how they evolved to what they were in that day. That included games like table tennis to swimming and everything in between. Now I know this wasn’t the case in all states, I just happened to be lucky.
I have to stop here and make a comment about sewing - boy are you so wrong! Women (and now many men) own at least one and some many sewing machines - we are quilters and he’s, there are still people,who sew clothing (I’m not one those) but millions of use are quilters!!! I personally own about 19 or so machines dated from 1926 through 2022)! And I can do everything you have mentioned so far - although check writing and keeping a register have long gone by the wayside! I feel very sorry for these young people,who can’t write cursive - among other supposedly lost things!!!
19 sewing machines? You're a sewing superhero! Do you have a favorite machine or do you love them all equally?
I have two friends who are quilters, and they sometimes stitch by hand. They claim that there’s a die hard faction of quilters who believe that “real quilts” are sewn by hand only. Can’t help but wonder if they prefer candles and oil lamps over electric lamps….
My wife and I do almost every one of these...still ! but then we're boomers and happy as hell .
That's wonderful to hear! It sounds like you both have a great handle on these valuable skills. There's something incredibly satisfying about being able to rely on your own abilities for everyday tasks. Plus, it keeps those traditions alive and well for future generations to learn from.
had my first sewing machine when i was 9
That's awesome! Starting young definitely gives you a head start in mastering the craft.
I used Mom's. Started by making doll clothing. Was not long after I was making my own. First machine I was 16. But I would love to have Mom's machine. My sister has it. The stitches were and still are so even.
@@dawnelder9046 i do have my moms, both her fether light and her bernenina that she never used
I still make most of my own clothes, and sewing is crucial for making curtains and draperies fit properly. GPS systems are not always reliable...Even most boomers did not learn how to properly read a map. I taught college for 20 years (technology, no less) and always told my students they STILL NEED TO KNOW HOW TO READ A MAP!!!
Anyone notice we dont talk on the phone anymore. When you get rid of your land line and realize your cell phone is used for everything except "talking" you start texting because it makes more sense.
The reason the Fallen Ones made them, is to turn us back to 2D. They are trying like hell to stop our evolution. We are our own technology, we don't need them, stop being so compliant, peoples.
So true! Texting is the new norm, who even talks on the phone these days?
At 54, I only talk on the phone if I absolutely have to, otherwise it is all down to emails and using my smartphone as an electronic ID device, payments, listening to music... anything really, except for talking.
@@AmericanVintageTales I do, if you can't call me, it must not be important. I'm cheap no internet on my phone only text and never use it
It's really sad. Darn Technology again taking us down to 2D. Destroying humanity, once again.
The action may be obsolete but we got some good life skills from this stuff. Like knowing how to critically think and attention to detail.
Sewing is Still Important!
Yes. There are also some fancy new sewing machines that can do amazing things.
Thanks for pointing that out! It's incredible how innovative sewing machines have become.
I’m a 73 year old bloke and regularly use a sewing machine to replace broken zippers, holey pockets, doing hems, altering waist bands and often doing sewing repairs for my grandkids, my daughters can use sewing machines and I’m going to teach my grandchildren and greats how to use the machines as well. Sure does save heaps of time and money.
Yes,the good old days...that's what the teens nowadays needs to do besides looking for video games etc..not that I am against gaming but need something useful
Back in my day, we didn't have Fortnite, we had to settle for playing outside and using our imaginations!
When I went back to work after my kids entered school I saw immediately how out of date my skills were. Nobody cared if I could write cursive or use the fax machine. All of us who grew up in the pre- computer generation had to go thru two sets of learning and that is something the younger crowd will never understand.
I appreciate your insight and understanding of the challenges faced by those of us from the pre-computer era.
These skills taught cause and effect. What is essentially common sense. A big reason so many like the idea of being dependant on the government.
Totally get what you mean! Cause and effect is like the foundation of everything.
@@AmericanVintageTales yeah. From not using cash, not repairing things and now we are having our cars drive for us we are losing our common sense. Even how we talk to each other on the Internet has no consequences so we are getting more rude to each other. :(
Yes, I can imagine the pride of having a great sewing machine and making many, many things myself. That ain’t no obsolete skill. I sew most days and I also drive a manual car.
Bring back the dewey decimal system.😂
Thanks for sharing your thoughts! The Dewey Decimal System did have its perks.
I didn't know it had gone away! Still in libraries around here!
I love maps and globes. I always got to be the navigator on family trips because I was map adept. Now I use AGPS like everyone else, but can still lose myself in an atlas.
I’ve had the same box of checks for probably about 7 years now. 😂
I can’t even remember the last time I wrote a check.
Thank you for sharing! It's great to hear you've had a good experience with the checks.