Things today's kids missed out on

[PhotonWrangler]

fountain pens
bottled ink
hand writing letters
penmanship
sealing wax
snail mail

Yes, penmanship. Some schools are actually giving up on teaching cursive handwriting, which is sad. And fountain pens - I remember being introduced to them when one of my teachers was using one and I really liked the way the ink flowed onto the paper. I had a Sheaffer pen for a few years because of that. I finally gave up on it though because it was so easy to smear the ink. if they could invent an ink that would dry quickly and be water resistant, I might try one again.

 

[degarb]

My kids do not get taught cursive. I think they gave it up only a few years ago. How are they to read letters of their ancestors? How to take quick notes in class, without knowing Gregg or having a notebook computer?

I can see prohibiting it on tests, when adding a few minutes to clock.

Yet, they don't replace it with good typing classes, starting at an early age. So, the 7th grader can neither type well, or write in cursive.

 

[Monocrom]

fountain pens
bottled ink
hand writing letters
penmanship
sealing wax
snail mail

I love all of that. It's just sad handing a young person a fountain pen and watching them try to write with it by turning the nib sideways. :shakehead

 

[Monocrom]

Several businesses that were New York institutions have closed shop. Gray's Papaya, Loehmann's, etc.

Due to two reasons:

1 - Beyond ridiculous rent rates that only major corporations can afford.

2 - Everyone shopping more and more online. Not just clothes and other material goods but food as well.

In 20 years, there won't be a single independent business left in NYC. Every place you could shop in NYC will be nothing more than another chain store that you can find in any major city.

 

[smarkum]

Yes, penmanship. Some schools are actually giving up on teaching cursive handwriting, which is sad. And fountain pens - I remember being introduced to them when one of my teachers was using one and I really liked the way the ink flowed onto the paper. I had a Sheaffer pen for a few years because of that. I finally gave up on it though because it was so easy to smear the ink. if they could invent an ink that would dry quickly and be water resistant, I might try one again.

Well, I can top that. The school my children (primary) attend does not teach penmanship of any kind. They don't teach printing nor do they teach cursive. They ENCOURAGE cursive, but I think that is because their printing is so terrible. I was horrified at a recent open house. We were all admiring the students essay letters which were hanging in the hall, when I said, in my INSIDE my head voice, . . . "oh man, I feel SORRY for that kids parents!" . . .. only to find out it was my middle child!!!!!!! Oh my, it was funny and sad all at the same time.
Shortly after the open house they gave her a word processor and asked her to type her responses on the processor! She didn't mind. She knew her printing was terrible.
Thank goodness they do teach typing (although I'm sure it is called something else now :ironic: ) in middle school. My soon to be middle schooler is MAD at me for MAKING her take "stupid typing" as an elective. . . she could be taking woodworking, or cooking, or Spanish! I told her she has NO business learning a second language until she can print, type or in cursive, write her family a letter. . .
I'm such a "mean mommy".

 

[Chauncey Gardiner]

I believe it's referred to as keyboarding.

Another thing today's kids miss out on: Writing (hand-written) thank you notes.

~ Chance

 

[StarHalo]

Playing this week at your local movie theater, in 1984:

Ghostbusters
Gremlins
Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom
The Karate Kid
Star Trek III: The Search for Spock
The Natural
Police Academy

 

[Monocrom]

In 20 years, there won't be a single independent business left in NYC. Every place you could shop in NYC will be nothing more than another chain store that you can find in any major city.

Apparently my prediction is coming true on the Upper East side of Manhattan. Do you love Chase bank as well as Duane Reade pharmacies? Well, you'll love it there. Heaven for you because there's one of both practically on every single block there. And I'm not fricking exaggerating either. (Really wish I was.)

 

[whiteoakjoe]

In 20 years, there won't be a single independent business left in NYC. Every place you could shop in NYC will be nothing more than another chain store that you can find in any major city.

I live in a small town and that happened here also, we are to small for Walmart, but Kroger, Dollar General, CVS pharmacy, Rural King, ect. and of course Fast Food restaurants have replaced all the one owner shops on main street. In the larger towns Walmart came in and drove most of the small shops out of business also.
It's a shame I really miss the little shops with out much inventory, but the guy behind the counter could get you anything you wanted in a week. They each had distributers who could get anything under the sun, and no matter what you needed or wanted you could order in those little shops.
I wear a 4E shoe and in the 70's and 80's it was easy to get me in a new pair of shoes, not now in 2014.
I also remember when the people who worked at shoe stores knew shoes. The people at Hardware Stores knew hardware, and home repair and could walk you through anything. Every shop had someone there who knew his job and did it well for his customers.
If you went in to a grocery store there was a meat cutter in the back who would take orders for what ever kind of cut of meat you wanted, and when you had your cart full from the rest of the shopping there was a wrapped package in the cooler with your name on it. (few places do that anymore)
I can also remember when the short order cook at the grill made your food right in front of the counter, and it was clean. The staff took pride in the little diner and you could tell. Now the kitchen is just a place were they warm up food in a microwave. (at least in my area)
I am just in my 40's and already sick of the era I live in. By the time I'm in my 80's I will be positively disgusted with the world. I think we peaked as a civilization before I was born!

 

[PhotonWrangler]

...The people at Hardware Stores knew hardware, and home repair and could walk you through anything. Every shop had someone there who knew his job and did it well for his customers.

I miss the old neighborhood hardware stores with the creaky wooden floors. The guy in the apron knew about everything in the store and how to use it, and you could walk in there and buy one screw if that's all you needed.

 

[Monocrom]

I live in a small town and that happened here also, we are to small for Walmart, but Kroger, Dollar General, CVS pharmacy, Rural King, ect. and of course Fast Food restaurants have replaced all the one owner shops on main street. In the larger towns Walmart came in and drove most of the small shops out of business also.
It's a shame I really miss the little shops with out much inventory, but the guy behind the counter could get you anything you wanted in a week. They each had distributers who could get anything under the sun, and no matter what you needed or wanted you could order in those little shops.
I wear a 4E shoe and in the 70's and 80's it was easy to get me in a new pair of shoes, not now in 2014.
I also remember when the people who worked at shoe stores knew shoes. The people at Hardware Stores knew hardware, and home repair and could walk you through anything. Every shop had someone there who knew his job and did it well for his customers.
If you went in to a grocery store there was a meat cutter in the back who would take orders for what ever kind of cut of meat you wanted, and when you had your cart full from the rest of the shopping there was a wrapped package in the cooler with your name on it. (few places do that anymore)
I can also remember when the short order cook at the grill made your food right in front of the counter, and it was clean. The staff took pride in the little diner and you could tell. Now the kitchen is just a place were they warm up food in a microwave. (at least in my area)
I am just in my 40's and already sick of the era I live in. By the time I'm in my 80's I will be positively disgusted with the world. I think we peaked as a civilization before I was born!

Sadly, I am forced to agree with you there.

 

[Tmack]

I miss the old neighborhood hardware stores with the creaky wooden floors. The guy in the apron knew about everything in the store and how to use it, and you could walk in there and buy one screw if that's all you needed.

We still have one.
In the middle of the ghetto too. They just refuse to leave. Lol
And I'm grateful.

 

[Monocrom]

Kids nowadays miss out on quality products.... without having to pay obscene premiums to get them.

 

[idleprocess]

Yes, penmanship. Some schools are actually giving up on teaching cursive handwriting, which is sad.

I think it's an acknowledgement of the directions the economy is moving - the overwhelming majority of text output nowadays is via keyboard, not handwriting. Growing up in the 1980s, the schools I attended were still teaching cursive, but it seemed to a matter of going through the motions rather than a core part of the core curriculum that it was in decades past. While we may miss neatly-penned letters, the reality is that most letters are printed and e-mail has largely supplanted physical correspondence.

I was never any good at cursive and by middle school simply stopped trying. Whenever I have to write something by hand, I use draftsman-like block letters; it is slow, but produces legible results and is great for the few types of writing I find myself doing with any regularity anymore - filling out paper forms and taking notes. It's extremely legible for forms since all-caps removes ambiguity. Works surprisingly well for notes since the slower pace forces me to paraphrase as I write... and is again more legible whenever I have to re-read said notes.

 

[idleprocess]

Several businesses that were New York institutions have closed shop. Gray's Papaya, Loehmann's, etc.

Due to two reasons:

1 - Beyond ridiculous rent rates that only major corporations can afford.

2 - Everyone shopping more and more online. Not just clothes and other material goods but food as well.

It's happened everywhere, but for varying reasons.

In the mid-90s I remember a story about the last downtown Dallas grocery closing up shop - right at the low point of people living in or immediately near downtown. If they'd managed to hang on another 5 years or so they would have been in prime position for the urban revitalization movement in Dallas and likely done supremely well with the initial set of new residents pining for that sort of local authenticity.

I do try to experience local flavor whenever possible. In Dallas there is ample opportunity to do this in the form of the booming restaurant business - I oftentimes read that we now have more restaurants per capita than any other city in the US. At least once a week - and oftentimes more - I'll hit up a truly local place. The service tends to be excellent and the overall experience feels far more natural than a chain where you can feel the hand of some high-flying marketing/customer-experience specialist guiding everything from afar. Not only do the people care (although you can find those folks in chain establishments too), but they seem to feel some sense of ownership and pride in what they do.

Retailers ... not so much so other than some truly niche items such as electronic components and occasional second amendment purchases.

In 20 years, there won't be a single independent business left in NYC. Every place you could shop in NYC will be nothing more than another chain store that you can find in any major city.

I don't care what some people say - price is king to enough of the market that it's a big deciding factor in sorting out winners and losers. Oftentimes with size comes the resources to wring more efficiency out of your operation - further enhancing your ability to cut prices - or enjoy greater margins. Some people will pay more for a better experience, but they're generally only a niche within the larger market, thus the Wal-Marts and Whole Foods thrive while the firms between those two suffer.

 

[Monocrom]

Another thing is how a company chooses to do business. I'm the type who simply won't buy from certain brands based on how they do business. Not going to get into specifics, but certain brands and companies resort to absolutely obscene tactics to maximize profits over anything else. And that includes the well-being, dignity, and safety of its employees.

 

[whiteoakjoe]

Another thing is how a company chooses to do business. I'm the type who simply won't buy from certain brands based on how they do business. Not going to get into specifics, but certain brands and companies resort to absolutely obscene tactics to maximize profits over anything else. And that includes the well-being, dignity, and safety of its employees.

I totally agree, but in some cases you have no choice. When a big chain store comes into a small town everything else dies off, and the next town may be 30 miles away so you are in fact stuck with that one option. And I hate that.
On another note I have spent an hour looking at this post (at work) and one other thing I find interesting is that in the earlier generations things in Rural America and NYC were so much different. But now with Chain Stores, Internet, Big Network cable and satellite TV a lot of the life experiences are similar. We are sort of loosing the local flavor of each area and becoming a one nation in many ways. Not so much in the lifestyle but in the consumer options. Wearing the same thing, watching the same shows, eating the same food. Sort of sad, traveling for my kids will not hold the same excitement it did for me.

 

[Monocrom]

I totally agree, but in some cases you have no choice. When a big chain store comes into a small town everything else dies off, and the next town may be 30 miles away so you are in fact stuck with that one option. And I hate that.
On another note I have spent an hour looking at this post (at work) and one other thing I find interesting is that in the earlier generations things in Rural America and NYC were so much different. But now with Chain Stores, Internet, Big Network cable and satellite TV a lot of the life experiences are similar. We are sort of loosing the local flavor of each area and becoming a one nation in many ways. Not so much in the lifestyle but in the consumer options. Wearing the same thing, watching the same shows, eating the same food. Sort of sad, traveling for my kids will not hold the same excitement it did for me.

Yes, very sad....

Also, in some places where physical choices are gone; that's where internet shopping actually comes to the rescue. Opens up more options. I realize I'm in the minority on this, but I'll drive 30 miles out of my way just to not shop at a company that I feel truly deserves to go out of business.

 

[StarHalo]

This is the first Saturday morning in 50+ years that there is no block of children's animated programming being broadcast on network television. The big three stopped the practice years ago; The CW was the holdout, but tech-savvy kids prefer the world of on-demand options which are now ubiquitous. So we're actually at the point where you can use the phrase "Saturday morning cartoons" with a kid, and they won't know what you're talking about..

 

[PhotonWrangler]

It is a seachange, although the term Saturday Morning Cartoons has become diluted by the 24x7 availability of cartoons on cable networks. I just hope that the same fate doesn't happen to the evening news. There's still something inherently classier about the big three networks and their evening newscasts that seems more journalistically solid than the 24x7 news channels. I need my evening dose of Bri-Wi.