Merchant Navy Memories - Our Golden Days

As time envelopes us, Norman W Howell MBE reminds us that. . .
WE ARE SURVIVORS
(For those born before 1940)
We were born before television, before penicillin, polio shots, frozen foods, Xerox, plastic, contact lenses, videos, Frisbees and the Pill. We were born before radar, credit cards, split atoms, laser beams and ball-point pens; before dishwashers, tumble dryers, electric blankets, air conditioners, drip-dry clothes and before man walked on the moon.

We got married first and then lived together (how quaint can you be?). We thought “fast food” was what you ate in Lent, a Big Mack was an oversized raincoat and “crumpet” we had for tea. We existed before househusbands, computer dating, dual careers; and when a “meaningful relationship” meant getting along with cousins and “sheltered accommodation” was where you waited for a bus.

We were before day care centres, group homes and disposable nappies. We never heard of FM radio, tape decks, electric typewriters, artificial hearts, word processors, yoghurt and young men wearing earrings. For us “time share” meant togetherness, a chip was a piece of wood or fried potato, “hardware” meant nuts and bolts and “software” wasn’t a word.

Before 1940, the term “making out” referred to how you did in your exams, “stud” was something that fastened a collar to a shirt and “going all the way” meant staying on a double-decker to the bus depot. Pizzas, McDonalds and instant coffee were unheard of. In our day, cigarette smoking was ‘fashionable’, grass was mown, ‘coke’ was kept in the coal house, a ‘joint’ was a piece of meat you had on Sundays and ‘pot’ was something you cooked in. ‘Rock music’ was a grandmother’s lullaby, ‘Eldorado’ was an ice cream, a gay person was the life and soul of the party and nothing more, while ‘aids’ just meant beauty treatment or help for someone in trouble.

We who were born before 1940 must be a hardy bunch when you think of the way the world has changed and the adjustments we have had to make. No wonder we are so confused and there is a generation gap today . . .BUT
By the grace of God. . .we have survived !
Alleluia!!!