Tuesday, May 09, 2017
I lived in a time most people have forgotten about
I was born in the late 40's. Truman was still president.
I remember segregation. I remember buses labeled "negro" or buses that didn't allow black people to sit in the front of the bus (or streetcar). The only black people I ever saw were the "rubbish men" who collected the trash because white men wouldn't do those jobs.
I remember discrimination. I remember being told that I would not be hired at a bank, after my college graduation, because as the Personnel director put it "why should we train you for a position when you'll only be here a year or two before you get married and quit."
Actually it wasn't just being married that made you leave. If you were pregnant you were asked to leave. (i.e. fired)
If you were a married school teacher and became pregnant you were "replaced" as soon as your baby bump showed. Why? Because the children would be asking questions about how you got that way and in those days NO SEX EDUCATION was taught so to avoid such questions they just fired the teacher.
I remember stuff they don't tell you about in history books.
I remember "bankers hours". That was a time when banks opened at 9:00 a.m.and closed at 3:00 p.m.. No evening hours. No weekend hours. If you had banking business you went to the bank and did it between those hours, even if it meant losing time from your job to do so.
I remember CASH transactions because Master Card had not been invented. Some department store had "charge plates" specific for that store. You basically bought on credit but it was not "revolving credit". If you charged $300 on your account you were expected to pay off the balance when the bill arrived. BTW, women did not have charge plates. Only husbands had them. Women were not extended credit. Why? Because women obviously didn't need it. Their husband provided for them and HE held the job and the purse strings.
I remember "BLUE LAWS" which meant no retail stores could be opened on Sunday. There was one exception. Drug stores (which really meant pharmacies because they didn't sell much else but medications, prescription or otherwise) were permitted to be opened for "emergency purchases" from 1 to 5 p.m. onSunday afternoon because those hours did not interfere with attendance of church services.
I remember Mail Delivery at Christmas time, two and even three mail deliveries were added to keep up with the bulk of Christmas mail. (and postage was 3 cents for first class and 1 cent for "second class mail".
I remember doctors who cared. They made house calls. They didn't charge $160 for an office visit. I remember the term "hospitalization" which was most commonly Blue Cross and Blue Shield. You paid out of pocket for almost all of your medical expenses but if you were admitted to the hospital the insurance would cover a large part of the bill, and generally speaking, any doctor's visit while you were in the hospital, but not after care. (which is waht the idiots in congress are turning "health care" back into.)
So many people long for the good old days.
I don't.
I remember segregation. I remember buses labeled "negro" or buses that didn't allow black people to sit in the front of the bus (or streetcar). The only black people I ever saw were the "rubbish men" who collected the trash because white men wouldn't do those jobs.
I remember discrimination. I remember being told that I would not be hired at a bank, after my college graduation, because as the Personnel director put it "why should we train you for a position when you'll only be here a year or two before you get married and quit."
Actually it wasn't just being married that made you leave. If you were pregnant you were asked to leave. (i.e. fired)
If you were a married school teacher and became pregnant you were "replaced" as soon as your baby bump showed. Why? Because the children would be asking questions about how you got that way and in those days NO SEX EDUCATION was taught so to avoid such questions they just fired the teacher.
I remember stuff they don't tell you about in history books.
I remember "bankers hours". That was a time when banks opened at 9:00 a.m.and closed at 3:00 p.m.. No evening hours. No weekend hours. If you had banking business you went to the bank and did it between those hours, even if it meant losing time from your job to do so.
I remember CASH transactions because Master Card had not been invented. Some department store had "charge plates" specific for that store. You basically bought on credit but it was not "revolving credit". If you charged $300 on your account you were expected to pay off the balance when the bill arrived. BTW, women did not have charge plates. Only husbands had them. Women were not extended credit. Why? Because women obviously didn't need it. Their husband provided for them and HE held the job and the purse strings.
I remember "BLUE LAWS" which meant no retail stores could be opened on Sunday. There was one exception. Drug stores (which really meant pharmacies because they didn't sell much else but medications, prescription or otherwise) were permitted to be opened for "emergency purchases" from 1 to 5 p.m. onSunday afternoon because those hours did not interfere with attendance of church services.
I remember Mail Delivery at Christmas time, two and even three mail deliveries were added to keep up with the bulk of Christmas mail. (and postage was 3 cents for first class and 1 cent for "second class mail".
I remember doctors who cared. They made house calls. They didn't charge $160 for an office visit. I remember the term "hospitalization" which was most commonly Blue Cross and Blue Shield. You paid out of pocket for almost all of your medical expenses but if you were admitted to the hospital the insurance would cover a large part of the bill, and generally speaking, any doctor's visit while you were in the hospital, but not after care. (which is waht the idiots in congress are turning "health care" back into.)
So many people long for the good old days.
I don't.
