Looking Back

[highlander]

While looking at these lovely old photos it made me ask myself, were people happier in those times, they had more family values, did things together, the working class were all in the same boat and would help each other out.
I remember my mum having the washboard and mangle set up on a monday, and clothes hanging from the pullie in kitchen, i am one of six in my family, and it was all hands on, we bairns used to think it was great fun to tie dusters to our feet to polish the floor, and see who could do the best skid LOL
Im not knocking todays modern appliances, infact we should in theory have more time to spend with our loved ones, so where did we today go wrong?

[Fluff]

Having more dosn't make you happier. People are lazy now, so look for gratification in other ways.
more disposable income, so people think pricey holidays etc will make them happy.

less is more (to a degree)

[bluelady]

As more and more women started going to work, so modern gadgets became a necessity to fit in with the modern busy lifestyles and any labour saving device was welcome. Even then most wifes were tired after their busy days at work so it was then time to juggle cooking the meal and spending time with hubby and kids and a lot of time is lost. I worked four long shifts one week and three the next so i could spend sometime with the family,and weekend daytrips were special because hubby and I worked alternate weekends. If we could have afforded it, i would have gone part time, but money was tight enough. The only labour saving device i had was ma washing machine. When the hoover broke, I had to use a basbroom on the carpets until i could afford a new one.we were happy and the kids were always well fed, well clothed etc

[Lolabelle]

We certainly have a society full of everything that opens and shuts, but I don't think that "things" make us any happier. As kids we had very little and expected very little and we were always happy. Now days, it seems that we all have to have something that will make life that little bit better, easier or make us happier, but it doesn't really fill the hole, cause eventually we get over the newness, and then we're onto the next thing that will make our life, better, easier.....

[Lavenderblue2]

I think we were more contented in those days Highlander – things were much simpler.
Yes, I remember having yellow dusters tied to our feet to polish the floor, looking forward to the fun when we’d be given the task of tramping the blankets in the bath every spring, beating the carpet outside with the carpet beater etc.

Even after I was married 41 years ago, all I had for my washing was a boiler and yet I considered myself fortunate – I was proud of my boiler. I didn’t have a vacuum cleaner; I had a carpet sweeper for my carpet square – if you were too exuberant with it the darned thing would flip over and all the dust and bits was dumped back onto the carpet in a heap!!

No ‘things’ don’t make us happy at all.


LB

[golach]

Highlander, as a war baby, and living on a farm and having to walk to school each day more than 2 miles each day, we had nothing in those days, but we never knew we were poor, or lacking in anything, because all were the same.
I blame the advent of that square box that sits in the corner of all households these days the Television, since that infernal machine came in, family life as we all knew it went out the window. Before TV we sat at tables to have a meal with all the family, meal time were dictated on the arrival of the Father coming home. We all sat around the radio as kids listening to Tammy Trout and Doon at the Mains for the kids and things Like Dick Barton Special agent, lol and when the football scores were read out, there had to be utter silence whilst Dad noted the scores on his coupon.
Ah life was so simpler then.

[cuddlepop]

Kids nowadays have no idea what it was like for us,their parents,growing up.
My own childhood was happy and I had no idea how little we had.We lived up a close in a room and kitchen with a toilet of our own,which was a luxury
Baths were taken once a week in the local Baths and the washing was taken to the steamy on a Monday morning.I remember going up for a ticket for my mum and bringing it back for her before I went to school.I must of been about seven at the time.
Kids were expected to do there jobs around the house and we never questioned anything we were asked to do.
Now its like bribary and corruption to get them to help.If the shower breaks down and they cant get a shower every day its a disaster.It takes them all there time to put dirty washing in the laundry basket never mind help in the process to do it.
We have discussions if i make a request .
My kids in my opinion are less happy than I was at their age.
Yes Highlander our yesterdays were so much happier

[BRIE]

dont know if life was happier when i was little but you were content in what you had, you never expected anything & never asked for anything.
we were never asked what we wanted for dinner we ate whatever we got put in front of us.
we were never asked what we wanted for birthdays/christmas we got what we were given usually secondhand if it was a bike or something equally expensive.
we were expected to do chores without anything in return & we never moaned about it.
these days kids expect more they give you a list of presents their wanting, they refuse to eat what you put in front of them & as for chores unless their getting payed for it you can forget it!

[Angela]

I'm not at all sure that the arrival of credit cards was a good thing.

I was brought up to be very wary of "Hire Purchase" (the never never!). There was no such thing as credit -only debt.

Once I was married with a family, we had to save up until we could afford things we needed -let alone just "wanted"...e.g. a washing machine! There was simply no concept of the latest "must haves".

I think we appreciated things more when we did finally get them, and I don't think we felt the degree of envy many people seem to feel today.

We didn't have celebrity lifestyles thrust in our faces as being a desirable way to live either.