I Remember

Chances are this will be a long entry. The ones that swim placidly in my head as I try to sleep at night tend to be that way.

Most of the people I know were born after 1950. Some I know were even born in the late 70's or even later. But for all of us, even the younger ones, have you ever realized how much has changed since our births? Here, in no particular order are some things & events I remember in my lifetime; things that either no longer seem to exist or weren't around when I was born in 1964. Some are mundane, some were world shaking. How many do you remember?

I remember Swansons TV Dinners in little metal trays with their glue flavored mashed potatoes and the cherry cobbler.

I remember when the troops finally came home from Vietnam. My minds eye can see on TV what ultimately became that famous picture of the teenage girl jumping into her brothers arms.

I remember penny candy that actually cost a penny and candy bars for five cents that were twice the size of the ones now. When we were kids, a quarter gave you enough candy to get gloriously sick on.

I vaguely remember when men walked on the moon in '69. I also have very vague memories of my mother and father both crying and talking about the deaths of Martin Luther King and Bobby Kennedy.

I remember school drills we had in case of nuclear war.

I remember seeing The Berlin Wall up close in real life and then having shivers go down my spine as it was torn down just a few years after that.

I remember the first computer I ever used being a Commodore 64. My fascination with the machines hasn't ended.

I remember being able to make a call in an actual phone booth and it only costing a dime.

I remember black and white TV with only about five different channels and yet always being able to find something to watch.

I remember the days when a child could play outside from dawn until dark with no parent having any idea where we were and no parent even being the slightest bit worried.

I remember when Satellite TV came into being and the dishes took up half of a persons backyard.

I remember when Andy Gibb and Rod Stewart were so cool and every little girl wanted to grow up to be either Jaclyn Smith or Farrah Fawcett.

I remember Disco (shudders)

I remember the Reagan assassination attempt

I remember John Lennon's murder.

I remember always being able to find something to do and I did it without batteries, without computers, without toys that talked, walked or answered questions. My favorites toys were dirt, sticks and my imagination.

I remember the FIRST Gulf War and the day Israel was bombed. My then husband was over there in the Army and I was scared to death.

I remember when country music was called Country & Western and only rednecks listened to it (supposedly)

I remember when the movie "The Day After" came out and got everyone terrified about nuclear war all over again.

I remember when common courtesy was common.

I remember Luke and Laura :-P

I remember when Prince Charles and Princess Diane got married and how that event heralded in the British Monarchy being once again in the public eye.

I remember watching Creature Features late at night while eating a bowl of popcorn that had popped on the kitchen stove not made in the microwave.

I remember when said microwaves came out and the average cost of one was about $500

I remember eight track tapes and cassette tapes being the way we listened to music; not on computers and IPods

I remember AM being where all the good radio stations were.

I remember Hippies... real 1960's ones not the modern equivalent... love beads, long dresses, bare feet, communes.

I vaguely remember when Charles Manson and his "group" went on a rampage.

I remember Richard Speck killing an apartment full of young nurses in Chicago. That one stuck because it happened not far (mere miles) from where I lived

I remember when AIDS was first noticed and how many thought that this was it... the human race was on it's way out.

I remember the Tylenol Killings and how before that, everything had screw on lids. That event was what created tamper proof bottles everywhere from the drugstore to the grocery stores

I remember when we thought our biggest threat came from Russia and the middle east was just a place where they had fought among themselves for centuries

I remember Watergate ..."I am not a crook"

I remember phones with rotary dials and phone numbers that started with letters

I remember when Civil Rights was still a MAJOR issue

I also remember being a little girl in inner city Chicago and wondering why it mattered to anyone if I played with the little girl next door, who was black.

I could probably do this for hours and many more paragraphs but this is enough. Add to this... tell us what you remember that I have neglected to have here. I am sure that there are so many common memories for us all... no matter the age, no matter the country we live in