I remember Mom getting her first microwave oven. It came with a cookbook and a temperature probe. She used it maybe two or three times. The food didn’t taste right. It sat on the counter for a few years and eventually just disappeared.

We had a pale-yellow telephone on the kitchen wall. Well, the one with push buttons was that color. I don’t remember what color the dial one was, but it was in the same place. The one we had before that had neither, just pick up the receiver and the operator came on, number please.

The earliest television I remember was a black and white set. It was on a swivel base with four skinny little legs. We got two channels using an antenna that was in the attic. Channel three and eight. Never had an antenna on the roof, we did get cable television sometime in the 1960’s. After that, we got a color television with a remote control!

We never had air conditioning in my house of any kind. No central air, no window units, nothing like that. Seems like I remember a fan but wouldn’t swear to that. Just open the windows and hope for a breeze. We didn’t sleep on the porch or in the yard.

There was one steadfast rule. You never went into your parents’ bedroom unless you were told to do so. That was like no-man’s land. My father kept his rifle in his bedroom closet, he showed it to me once, and it was as secure as being in Fort Knox. Wasn’t any of us kids going in there.

In the discipline department there was one person that may obtain a reprieve or a pardon for you. That was Mom. If Dad issued a punishment or just a simple “no” to any request you made, Mom may get that overruled. Dad would never. ever, overrule Mother! Not happening jack. He wasn’t going to suffer for you.

You ate what was given to you. Now, you didn’t have to eat that, you could say no, but you just went without in that case. Dad would just say, good, more for me and eat your portion too. My parents never made you sit there and eat, it was your decision to make. Yes, there was peer pressure to conform however, a case of discretion being the better part of hunger.

These are just a few of the things I remember growing up. Close the door, I’m not heating the neighborhood! Turn off that light, electricity isn’t free you know. What till your father gets home. You better get that look off your face. I’ll give you something to cry about. If Billy jumped off the bridge, I guess you would do that too. All those usually followed by, you know better than that! What’s the matter with you?