The Things We Now Take For Granted

[Ferocious]

The Things We Now Take For Granted


When I was about 9 or 10, I used to go and stay with my Grannie and help her do some jobs around the house.

In the evenings she would sit in her rocking chair by the fire, knitting and listening to the wireless (radio), and I would be sitting cross legged on the rug toasting bread for our supper.

There was no electricity in her house, so we sat, with the cat purring in tune with the gas-light purring up on the wall, then about 10.00pm, she would light a candle on one of those metal saucer things with a finger hole, give it to me and say, “Off you go me lad, there’s a poe under your bed if you need to pee.” She’d give me peck on top of my head and off I’d go.


She resisted having electricity in her house saying it was dangerous and evil.


I think of the multitude of things we can now do, and take for granted thanks to electricity.

Those of you reading this, surely have things you take for granted but can remember a time when it wasn’t available to you.

Please share your thoughts.

 

[Keesha]

Sometimes life gets so hectic that it’s easy to take it for granted.
Thats one of the reasons why my husband and I used to go interior camping.
Roughing it sure brings back gratitude for all we have.

I think most people in America take life for granted. We definitely are spoiled.
Sometimes it’s good to go without if only to keep us humble.

My husbands grandparents lived in a home with no electricity. Now it’s hard to imagine.
I try not to take things for granted but I have no doubt that I most likely do.

 

[treeguy64]

I remember back in me cave, as a young tyke. Daddy would be gnawing on the leg of a beast he brought down, earlier that day. We'd all be gathered 'round the fire, me mither using a bush thorn, as she sewed our loin cloths. Daddy would say, "When I give you your share of the beast, make fast work of it, or it'll be spoilt in the morning and stink up the cave." Now, I can't imagine being without a refrigerator: No more wolfing down food, to avoid overnight spoilage. It seems like only yesterday, though, in the cave. I still remember me mum saying, as she patted me on the head, while sending me off to my straw pile: "If you have to poop in the night, remember to use that rock pile at that side tunnel, and mind you to use those fresh leaves on your bum!" Ah, memories.

 

[hollydolly]

Yes I remember doing simialr at my Granny's house. She'd be sitting knitting, and I would be sitting on the Brass coal scuttle next to the open coal fire with a chunk of bread on the end of a toasting fork . Toast has never tasted as good as that , but I'm grateful I have an electric toaster.


I take for granted my washing machine because at one time in my childhood we only had a gas copper boiler, then mother got a single washtub with a wringer attachement.. and I had to try and turn the handle while she fed thick sheets and towels through....

I do remember sometimes when I'm using something High tech that my mum or gran would have had to work hard to do in the old way...that I'm lucky to have them, and I wish both of them could come back and be amazed at the technology.

My mum died in '73..my granny in '82 and neither one of them ever saw a computer or a microwave oven or a mobile phone , much less have one in their homes

 

[RadishRose]

Anesthesia.

 

[terry123]

Anesthesia.

Ain't that the truth!!

 

[Aunt Bea]

The biggest change that I take for granted is having access to stores, movies, restaurants, gas stations, ATM's, etc... at all hours of the day and night.

I grew up under the Blue Laws and almost nothing was open on Sundays or federal holidays.

 

[RadishRose]

Yes, Aunt Bea, CT had the Sunday blue laws too, when I was a child.

 

[Giantsfan1954]

Yup,I remember those also.
I often wonder if anyone else does this:
You're in a power failure,blackout whatever and you still enter a room and hit the switch for the lights?
Or if you're on a well and your water is out because the pump is electric but you still keep trying the faucets...
Sometimes I really think I'm losing it,LOL

 

[RadishRose]

Yup,I remember those also.
I often wonder if anyone else does this:
You're in a power failure,blackout whatever and you still enter a room and hit the switch for the lights?
Or if you're on a well and your water is out because the pump is electric but you still keep trying the faucets...
Sometimes I really think I'm losing it,LOL

Absolutely, I hit that switch every time! Even after I've placed a lighted candle in a jar on the back of the toilet.

 

[Aunt Bea]

Yup,I remember those also.
I often wonder if anyone else does this:
You're in a power failure,blackout whatever and you still enter a room and hit the switch for the lights?
Or if you're on a well and your water is out because the pump is electric but you still keep trying the faucets...
Sometimes I really think I'm losing it,LOL

I was that way when I quit smoking, always reaching for a cigarette that wasn't there.

 

[Olivia]

Wrist watches! And when I forget to wear one going out, I feel totally lost and keep looking at my wrist. What time is it? Two freckles past a hair. (Cell phones to me is just not the same when I want to know what time it is and want to sneak a look).

 

[applecruncher]

soap
warm water
toothbrush/toothpaste
clean clothes
knowing I'll have a bed to sleep in tonight
comfortable shoes
a warm winter coat
filling & paying for a cart of groceries

 

[hollydolly]

Wrist watches! And when I forget to wear one going out, I feel totally lost and keep looking at my wrist. What time is it? Two freckles past a hair. (Cell phones to me is just not the same when I want to know what time it is and want to sneak a look).

I never not wear a watch. I just don't carry my iphone in my hand , it's always in my bag, so I couldn't be doing with making hard work out of looking at the time, a wristwatch will always be my choice...

 

[hollydolly]

The biggest change that I take for granted is having access to stores, movies, restaurants, gas stations, ATM's, etc... at all hours of the day and night.

I grew up under the Blue Laws and almost nothing was open on Sundays or federal holidays.

Wasn't called Blue laws here Aunt bea...but yes we also grew up with everything closed on Sundays and holidays, and small towns also had one day mid-week when they shut half day as well...

 

[hollydolly]

Anesthesia.

I'm not anywhere near old enough to have known a world without it... so I can't compare ..but yes I'm glad we have it, VERY glad..

My father had to have an operation on his ear when he was a young adult, and because it was such a sensitive and new type of operation he had to be awake. They gave him wood to bite on , and he loosened most of his teeth through biting so hard

 

[Aunt Bea]

soap
warm water
toothbrush/toothpaste
clean clothes
knowing I'll have a bed to sleep in tonight
comfortable shoes
a warm winter coat
filling & paying for a cart of groceries

I agree it's been a very long time since I've had to put things back or leave items at the checkout.

I'm very thankful that I have enough to cover the basics and a little jingle in my jeans for a treat or two along the way!

 

[jujube]

I appreciate the Thermos bottle. No more drinking lukewarm soup or tepid lemonade at noon. It keeps hot things hot. It keep cold things cold.

How does it know which is which? LOL.

 

[RadishRose]

I'm not anywhere near old enough to have known a world without it... so I can't compare ..but yes I'm glad we have it, VERY glad..

My father had to have an operation on his ear when he was a young adult, and because it was such a sensitive and new type of operation he had to be awake. They gave him wood to bite on , and he loosened most of his teeth through biting so hard

LOL, neither am I but thinking about like back in middle ages, or before even laudanum how they must have suffered.

 

[Ferocious]

I enjoy my Music so much, but I still remember having to wind up my Gran's gramaphone......would you be bothered today?

 

[IKE]

Anesthesia.

Speaking of which.

I can recall back in the 50's having to have my tonsils & adenoids removed and having to have my fingernail removed after I mangled my finger in a bicycle chain and at the time they used ether to put a person under.......that's been many, many moons ago but in my mind I can still recall the terrible taste and smell of ether and I can recall the pain from not being given enough during the finger nail removal and me screaming like a banshee.

I wonder when it was that the medical profession finally got away from ether ?

 

[hearlady]

We really do live like Kings and Queens.
Unless you consider no real privacy, no real quiet, chemicals in our air and food, and electronic waves running through our atmosphere and brains.

I believe they took for granted the gift of an authentic life.

I'm grateful for my time on earth and try not to take anything for granted.

 

[Ferocious]

In mid-winter when the snow and ice were about, I'm so grateful not to have to go traipsing outside to the lavatory down the yard, where sabre-toothed spiders galore used to lurk in the dark ready to pounce on me......ha ha ha

 

[C'est Moi]

Air conditioning.

 

[Aunt Bea]

Television 24 hours a day.