Frazz by Jef Mallett for February 23, 2024

I wish we’d had computers and the internet when I was a kid. We didn’t even have pocket calculators.

Carly Simon was right. These are the good old days.

Grandpa could play outside and ride his bike until the streetlights came on. Advantage: Grandpa.

Nobody has a choice when they’re born or what the world is like at the time. You just live in the reality you’ve got. Mine, sadly, included bellbottoms and leisure suits.

Well, we didn’t have mass school shootings. Columbine was almost 20 yrs after I graduated so advantage us there too, very sad to say.

“The good old days are good and gone now. That’s why they’re good. Because they’re gone.” – Loudon Wainwright III

So this kid will never have ‘good old days’?

“Good Old Days” frequently means when women and Black folk knew their place.

In ’63 I was hired to sell NCR adding machines. Hauled a 4lb machine with electric cord, 10 rows of buttons up and 10 across, a half dozen push button functions, and paper on a roll of 3" wide printer paper on my first sales. When you pushed the start key, 10 rows of number bars ratcheted noisily up and down until the total printed. Top of the line, I was told. R-i-i-i-i-ght.

First office I visited, secretary was using a Victor that was less than half the size and weight with just 12 buttons, 4+ math functions, activator key, and paper roll. Completely outgunned NCR in every way.

Picked up my bag and went to an early lunch. Went back to office, then spent 4 months fighting a losing battle. Asked boss for a talk, resigned, and never looked back.

By the way, at that time NCR office computers were the size that required a panel van or a box van and three guys to deliver. The times have definitely changed.

Oh, I dunno, I see the kid’s point, but it’s really more like apples to oranges.

The good old days were good because I was young then. Everything has to stay the same as it was then so that I can pretend I’m still young. Change must be attacked because it reminds me that I’m old and I’m going to die soon.

If women in Afghanistan get kinda nostalgic for the good old days, they probably have a point.

Don’t underestimate your grandpa kid

The best part of the good old days is that you weren’t.

I sure as HELL don’t yearn for the dentistry part. Or typewriters.

I’d be okay with nickle cokes and candy bars made with sugar and chocolate, though.

The saddest thing is listening to guys who are now in their 50-60-70’s talking about “Kids nowadays” in the same tone/words/manner that guys in their 50-60-70’s talked about “kids nowadays” when those guys were ‘the kids.’