When I was a child I could have swum across Lake Huron all the way to France. Don't bother me with geography, my sister assured me she could see it. In my twenties I visited Bourg-Saint-Andéol. The cool breeze made it feel like Michigan. Turns out, we are at about the same latitude.
This is also where the Soviets were going to land with their parachutes at any minute. The things they told us in the 1970's. The Ice Age was upon us. We would live on the moon in the year 2000. Cars would fly. We'd have scanners at the grocery store that would know how much each item...wait a second.
We drank sugar. We sat too close to the TV, but not as close as you are to your phone. We ate hot dogs straight out of the refridgerator! Milk was 5 cents at school, 6 if you wanted chocolate. There is no cents symbol on my keyboard. We had roller rinks. I am not even going to define that. If you know, you know.
I had a tiny red Bible given to me at school. The Gideons handed them out.
I wonder if they still do that.
All this and more happened to us, and we are still alive!
ReplyDeleteWe survived!
DeleteI drank so much sugar! And that school-milk, which was never cold enough to taste right.
ReplyDeleteThe poetry of your post draws me into the stories... Did you often swim in Lake Huron?
I live in the deep South these days, but we went up to visit the old house recently. It was too cold to swim.
DeleteI lived this too and enjoyed going back with you.
ReplyDeleteMy Dad was a Gideon and handed out Bibles at school. We have someone at our church who is a Gideon now. I know they still hand out Bibles at the colleges around us.
That's good to hear.
DeleteGreat memories.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Kathy.
DeleteI can remember always seeing a copy of The Gideons Bible in Hotels (although not so much now) and I just looked this up on the internet and apparently this does still happen although not as much as years ago.
ReplyDeleteEach Bible placed in a hotel room has the potential to reach up to 2,300 people in its estimated six-year life span. Research from the hotel industry tells us that approximately 25% of travelers read the Bibles in their hotel rooms.
Read more here:-
https://gideonsinternational.org.uk/faq/
All the best Jan
PS I do like your photograph, it looks so peaceful.
2300 people. Wow!
DeleteI really love all the things you mentioned from by gone times. For me in school - white milk was 3 cents and chocolate was 4 cents.
ReplyDeleteSo many things we were told were not good back then. Now, it's much, much different.
It's different now, but there is still much we are told that is not true.
DeleteIt's a wonder we survived. :) Ah roller rinks! I went skating every Sat evening from 7 - 12 grade!!
ReplyDelete😀
DeleteThe Gideons give also now holy Bibles to people. They were in our church last years and told about their work.
ReplyDeleteI love to hear that!
DeleteMakes you wonder how we ever survived ... Those we kinder and gentler times for me. I remember bibles in the hotel room bedside tables. I really don't remember seeing any for the last few years. I used to love to roller skate and often went to the rink when the parents would take us. Ahhh the memories.
ReplyDeleteSeu
Good Grief...I can't even spell my name correctly !
DeleteSUE !!!
I didn't notice until you said something!
DeleteI still have a few of those little Red or Green Gideon New Testaments. They pop up in dresser drawers from the past. I should pass them on to people who need them. Yes, they are still in hotels. Wonderful ministry. Your stories are so good. Yes, I remember all of that. And roller rinks, of course! I was never a very good skater, but I managed to stay upright as long as I didn't try anything fancy. LOL. Happy memories.
ReplyDeleteI don't remember the green ones, only red.
DeleteI too can stay upright. Never tried skating backwards or twirling!
Love this trip down memory lane.
ReplyDeleteWe still have roller rinks in my neck of the woods, and I know the Gideons are still passing out bibles, but I haven't seen any of those little red and green New Testaments.
😀 Thanks, Sandra.
DeleteI remember all that - the one thing you can count as true and never changing is the BIBLE. It is a wonder we survived!
ReplyDeleteAmen!! Ha ha
DeleteWe also have great memories with my husband and often talk about them everything was more simple, we had less and were happier ( maybe it was l’insouciance de la jeunesse?) to answer your question
ReplyDeleteThe plates are simple iron earth plates.
Yes, it was l’insouciance de la jeunesse! I had to translate that...😄
DeleteThere used to be Gideon Bibles in every hotel room. Not any more.
ReplyDeleteGod bless.
So sad.
DeleteThey were even mentioned in a Beatles song.
DeleteGood joke with parachutists.
ReplyDelete😄 Funny, but not.
DeleteOh fun post. I remember a lot of the crazy things we were told back in the day. One I remember well is that we would all have a 4 day. work week. I think several countries have been trialling it over the past decade though I'm not sure if any have adopted it permanently. Certainly not ours. I also remember hearing we'd drive space cars, see people when we talk on the phone, press a button and food would materialize. I guess the phone part is true if one has a smart phone. I do remember the Gideon's used to leave Bibles in hotel rooms. I haven't stayed in a hotel room for ages so am not sure if they still do that here.
ReplyDeleteIt seems rare these days.
DeleteFascinating 🥹🥰♥️♥️♥️
ReplyDeleteWow your words took me to the actual wonderland 🤗
Yes days of innocence 🥹
When soul is light and pure ,unaware of the darkness.
Though slightly with difference I could relate to it because childhood are full of liberty and pure beauty of life which resembles no matter how away you live from each other 🥹☺️
You make my day 🥰🙏
Thank you, Baili. 😀
DeleteI loved this. Yes, some very good things back then, some not-so-good. But all a part of our collective past!
ReplyDeleteYep! And here we are to tell the tale.
DeleteI remember these things ands I remember a rink The gideon bibles are still passed out in our area.. just not in the school
ReplyDelete🩷
DeleteLove.
ReplyDeleterkrsrue.blogspot.com
💜
DeleteOh boy Sandi...yes. That's all I have to say but also...Caesar's Palace in Montreal was where I donned my satin garb and roller skates every Saturday afternoon for a few years in the late 70s!!!
ReplyDeleteI can hear the disco music now. 😁
DeleteYears ago I remember looking at google maps and asked for directions from New York to France. One of the suggested routes was by swimming! Somebody at google had a fun sense of humor. I wonder if they still do that.
ReplyDelete😄 Well, you could swim there. Ha ha
DeleteOh my golly Sandi - all those things you mentioned had me reminiscing - were they not "those were the days my friend". Hugs! P.S. Hope you decided to fly to France instead of swim :)!
ReplyDeleteHa ha!
DeleteGideons still put Bibles in Motel/Hotel rooms! My parents had many small bibles in their "stuff". The service bible that my Dad carried all the way through Korea was used for some passages in his commital service and then buried along with his Urn:)
ReplyDeleteThat is so good to hear.
DeleteFun post and yes, I know all about Roller Rinks!
ReplyDelete🛼
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