Received this “You Might Be Old If…” compilation that has been making the rounds on Facebook.
It’s a great reflection of things past, but clearly a list of more recent experiences.
So I put on my memory cap, and searched the cobwebs of my growing-up time, and came up with a “You Might Be Older Than Old If…” version.
Of course, there could easily be an Old-Like-God compilation, if someone is willing to share…
You might be older than old if …
- You shopped at the five-and-dime store.
- You had milk delivered in glass bottles to your doorstep.
- You ordered chocolate and strawberry milk.
- You had washing machines with wringers.
- You remember your five-digit telephone number.
- You bought groceries from the yasai-man (vegetable seller who also sold fish and meat from a wagon/truck).
- You bought dim sum from the manapua man who had two tin cans hanging from a pole.
- You pounded your own mochi at home for new year’s.
- You owned fountain pens with a jar of ink with a well for refilling the pen, before the arrival of ball-point pens,.
- You watched movies in the hub of downtown movie houses, including the Hawaii Theatre, Princess Theatre, Liberty Theatre, King Theatre.
- You purchased aku bones at the market for a delish dinner.
- You made your own tsukemono by soaking cabbage in a large pot with water and old bread, with a stone weight to keep the contents in water.
- You wore festive kimono (girls and women) or yukata tops (boys and men) to go summertime bon dances at local Buddhist churches.
- You slept in sleeping bags, on the floor, while in grade school.
- You wore Buster Brown shoes.
- Your elders watched Japanese films at Aala Park and the Kukui St. area.
- You had manual typewriters, with black replacement ink in a spool, and red-and-black in if you were able to afford ‘em.
- You owned a phonograph with multiple speed choices, to play 78 rpm, 45 rpm and 33 rpm discs?
- You communicated by snail mail, not e-mail, and when needed, paid extra postage for air-mail.
- You used bubble lights on your Christmas tree.
- You and the family ventured to Fort Street to view Liberty House’s decorated, animate Christmas show in its storefront windows.
- You watched prime-TV series, like “The Ed Sullivan Show,” which were shown here a week after its mainland airing.
- You remember when the 50th State Fair was the 49th State Fair.
- You rode city buses, operated by Honolulu Rapid Transit, which were trolleys requiring electricity.
- You recall when Kalanianaole Hwy. was three-lanes, one heading to the Hawaii Kai, one heading to town, and the center lane for left or right turns?
- You took your own pot, to order take-out saimin, from a saimin stand?
- You attended Japanese language school, which were common after-school destinations, for those of Japanese ancestry.
- You took in first-run movies at the Waikiki #1, Waikiki #2, and Waikiki #3, plus the Kuhio, in Waikiki. And the Royal Theatre, also in Waikiki.
- You saw in Don Ho, at his mom’s Honey’s in Kaneohe, before he went big-time at Dulke Kahanamoku’s at the International Market Place. It’s where he first introduced Marlene Sai to local audiences.
- You watched the original “Sunrise” live morning show on KGMB, hosted by Kini Popo (Carl Hebenstreit) and featuring Lei Becker.
