Things that you know that kids now will probably never understand

The smell of 35mm film.

We found a couple of rolls of real 35mm film lying around, and they had been sitting so long, we figured they weren't safe to use. Tossed them out. We probably will never buy another one. I remember how Kodak film used to smell when you would pop the grey cap off the black container. Everything's digital now - kids born much later than I was will probably never know this.

A similar discussion came up with the younger members of my family the other night. Telephone numbers around here (before I was around, really) used to be "Sherwood 6, 4711". Named after the local exchange. It took some explaining.

I'm sure I'll think of more, but I bet others will have some better ones than mine. Probably some I myself have never experienced.

The thrill of getting the big 600 or 700 piece Lego sets for christmas, opening up all the little plastic bags, looking at all the pieces, and then spending the rest of the day building it. The ones now days are really lame and don't have many pieces at all. They are too specialized and really limit creativity. Plus they have some pretty weak themes.

The feeling of using a rotary dial phone.

I vaugely remember four digit telephone numbers, then the whole town had the same three digit prefix. Everyone got very annoyed when they added additional prefixes, and finally area codes were introduced. If there are no 35mm film containers, how will the kiddies carry around their drugs?

A world before the internet--or even better, a home without a computer.

Originally Posted by VersaceMan

Click to expand...

The thrill of getting the big 600 or 700 piece Lego sets for christmas, opening up all the little plastic bags, looking at all the pieces, and then spending the rest of the day building it. The ones now days are really lame and don't have many pieces at all. They are too specialized and really limit creativity. Plus they have some pretty weak themes.
I remember that - all the Lego eventually ended up in a big bin that got passed down to whatever kid in my family was of Lego age (done swallowing toys, not bored yet). Spent tons of time playing with that stuff and making all kinds of random stuff with my friends.

I remember rotary phones, too. In fact, I have used one of those hold-the-earpiece style phones, though I think it was a repro.

The world before before SSRIs.

Pinball machines with mechanical counters.
Smelling mimeograph machine ink in school.
Life before people had PCs, never mind Internet access.
Corollary: Windows 1.0.
Black and white television.
Life before mobile phones.
Vending machines that dispensed ice-cold sodas in glass bottles.
Cans that required a "church key" to open.
The old pop-top cans whose tops came off and became choking hazards for small children.
The craze for "generic" products with white labels with black block letters on them.

I'm stopping, this is making me feel like my pet stegosaurus that kids will never understand.

The feeling of using a rotary dial phone.

Click to expand...

How about party lines. (NOT the powdery ones lined up on mirrors)

IBM Selectrics.

MS DOS

I wonder if high schools will still offer Photo classes in film?

Flipping over an album to play side two.
Getting off the couch to change the channel on the TV (which had vacuum tubes).

Those little plastic things you put into the larger hole of 45's so you could put it on your turntable.

I actually remember quite a few of thsoe things, and I'm the youngest member here.

Originally Posted by j

Click to expand...

I remember that - all the Lego eventually ended up in a big bin that got passed down to whatever kid in my family was of Lego age (done swallowing toys, not bored yet). Spent tons of time playing with that stuff and making all kinds of random stuff with my friends.

Lego is the ******* best.

My school has an analog-focused photo class (two of them, actually) FWIW.

Reading a book or newspaper...