Lesson 2: Those Were the Days My Friend....

**When the only children on milk cartons were the “Pagan babies”! Yes, every Lent in Catholic elementary school we diligently saved nickels, in special little milk boxes, so our class could adopt a Pagan baby and actually name it. (Always Joseph and Mary of course)

**When your family had four daughters, and three accounted for chapel veils on Sunday morning, and you were the one wearing a bobby-pinned Kleenex on your head to Mass.

**When your family had to make sure they had the necessary money for the weekend, because you could not get cash out of a “wall” whenever you needed it.

**When your TV had three channels and one of them was in a constant state of snow-fall, and hard to see. And at midnight, they played the Star Spangled Banner and the stations went off air until tomorrow.

**When a party line had nothing to do with illegal drugs or the Electric Slide. You better not listen in!

**When you had one TV, one phone, and one bathroom in your home. When your family had one car and you were blessed.

**When the only famous people you could think of, with only one name, were Liberace and Elvis. (Charo came later!)

**When drying clothes required the sun, a line, and clothes pins.

**When you had a “gas wars” and nobody got killed. Instead you got 4 gallons of regular for a buck! (Do they even have “regular-leaded gas anymore?)

**When cars didn’t have seat belts and the most dangerous seat of all was on the hump, in the front seat, because your mother could swat you without pulling over.

**When eating out was a special treat and special treats were related to extra-ordinary behavior; not just doing well in school or behaving in church.

**When your teachers were less concerned about your self esteem and more concerned with your self -discipline. Ever spend a recess with your head on your desk because you misbehaved?

**When communists lived in Red States , not Republicans. And being green meant you were nauseous not a naturalist.

**When the Laugh In line “you bet your bippy” was the naughtiest thing you heard on TV.

*When the only one talking about sending someone into space was Jackie Gleason;”right to the moon Alice”

**When reality TV about families presented role models like Andy Griffith, Lassie, Leave It to Beaver, Bonanza, Little House on the Prairie, and The Waltons!
**When you thought 50 was really old!

**When you were supposed to listen to the voice in your head: it was your conscience.