I Love This

In the line at the store, the cashier told the older woman  that she should bring her own  grocery bag because plastic bags weren’t good for the environment.  The woman  apologized to him and explained, “We didn't have the green thing back in my day.” The clerk responded, "That's our problem today.  The former generation did not care  enough to save our environment."  He was right, that generation didn’t have the green thing in its day. Back then, they returned their milk bottles, soda bottles and beer bottles to the store.   The store sent them back to the plant to be washed and sterilized and refilled, so it  could use the same bottles over and over.  So they really were  recycled. But they didn’t have the green thing back in that customer's day. In her day, they walked up stairs, because they didn’t have an escalator in every store  and office building.. They walked to the grocery store and didn't climb into a  300-horsepower machine  every time they had to go two blocks.  But she was right. They didn’t have the green thing in her day. Back then, they washed the baby’s diapers because they didn’t have the throw-away kind. They dried clothes on a line, not in an energy gobbling machine burning up 220  volts – wind and solar power really did dry the clothes. Kids got hand-me-down  clothes from their brothers or sisters, not always brand-new clothing. But that old lady is right, they didn’t have the green thing back in her day. Back then, they had one TV, or radio in the house – not a TV in every room. And the  TV had a small screen the size of a handkerchief, not a screen the size of the state of  Montana. In the kitchen, they blended and stirred by hand because they didn't  have  electric machines to do everything for you. They cut up their own fruits and vegetables because they didn't have a food processor.   When they packaged a fragile item to send in the mail, they used a wadded up old  newspaper to cushion it, not styrofoam or plastic bubble wrap. Back then, they didn’t fire up an engine and burn gasoline just to cut the lawn. They  used a push mower that ran on human power. They exercised by working so they  didn't need to go to a health club to run on treadmills that operate on electricity. But she’s right, they didn’t have the green thing back then. They drank from a fountain when they were thirsty instead of using a cup or a plastic  bottle every time they had a drink of water. They refilled their writing pens with ink  instead of buying a new pen, and they replaced the razor blades in a razor instead of  throwing away the whole razor just because the blade got dull. But they didn’t have the green thing back then.  Back then, people took the streetcar or a bus and kids rode their bikes to school or  rode the school bus instead of turning their moms into a 24-hour taxi service. They  had one electrical outlet in a room, not an entire bank of sockets to power a dozen  appliances. And they didn't  need a computerized gadget to receive a signal beamed  from satellites 2,000 miles out in space in order to find the nearest pizza joint. Isn't it sad the current generation laments how wasteful the old folks were just because  they didn't have the green thing back then?  Oh yeah, we were so wasteful! __________________________________________________________ Those were the days my friend  We thought they'd never end  We'd sing and dance forever and a day  We'd live the life we choose  We'd fight and never lose  For we were young and sure to have our way.  La la la la...  Those were the days, oh yes, those were the days.

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I found this on the internet. Thank you Vivian from Media Domain All My Children discussion board for printing this.