Have you ever taken the time to think about previously normal things that are no longer normal today?
Lifestyle :
If you grew up in the 60s, 70s, 80s, or even the 90s, there are several ‘normal things’ that everyone did. However, the times have changed and things that were once considered normal and acceptable have mysteriously disappeared over the years.
So, let’s take a look at a few once-normal things that are no more:
SCOLDING OTHER PEOPLE’S KIDS
It may be hard to believe, but once upon a time, it was normal for any adult to discipline someone else’s kid. In fact, stopping a child from doing something wrong, correcting them on bad/misused language, or even doling out punishment was often a community norm. Not anymore!
“OMG yes! in my neighborhood, whoever’s house you were at, if you acted up, their mom was expected to let you know, and even send you home! Kids were basically community property. It’s just how things were,” said one social media user.
Nowadays, if a parent catches another adult even telling their child to use proper English, that parent will likely curse the adult out, tell them to mind their own business, or even elevate to a physical altercation.
The old adage that “It Takes A Village” to raise a child has sadly gone by the wayside with today’s parenting generation.
VISITING SOMEONE UNANNOUNCED
Back in the day before cell phones were invented, people didn’t always call or text before visiting a neighbor, family member, or friend. They would simply show up.
House phones could be busy for hours, preventing an advance call. However, it didn’t really matter. All were always welcomed inside despite the unexpectedness.
During my childhood, I remember out-of-town family members driving for hours and just showing up at our house for a weekend visit. Mom would welcome them with open arms, feed them, and even make us kids give up our beds so our visitors could have a place to sleep.
“You never knew who, or how many, would show up at our house on a Friday night for a game of penny ante poker or Yahtzee in the 60s and 70s,” said a social media user. “I do miss that. We always had extra snacks for guests available because we never knew when someone might just show up.”
BIRTHDAY/SCHOOL SPANKINGS
If you’re a child of the 70s or 80s, you probably remember the tradition of birthday spankings. If it was your birthday, everyone was strangely allowed to spank you equivalent to the number of years you were alive. Then, they’d add a “pinch for good luck.”
“My 4th grade teacher did this to all of us in front of the whole class. She ended it with a “pinch to grow on” and literally pinched our butts,” said a social media user. “I don’t recall anyone ever having an issue with it at the time, but looking back it was definitely odd. It was just a different time,” they added.
Interestingly, spankings in general were also common practice in school. Teachers were armed with huge wooden paddles and were allowed (and expected) to spank disobedient children without recourse.
As if that wasn’t enough, if a parent found out that a child was spanked by a teacher, the child would likely get an additional spanking from the parent. Today, this would result in a lawsuit.
PLAYING OUTSIDE
During the 60s, 70s, and parts of the 80s, children everywhere couldn’t wait to go outside and play. This was an era before cell phones and video games, so children entertained themselves with physical fun outdoors instead of staring at a screen for hours indoors.
During summer vacation, kids would regularly leave their homes early in the morning to play with their friends unsupervised for hours. Swings at the playground, riding bikes, a pick-up softball game, double-dutch, hopscotch, Red Light/Green Light, tag, hide-and-go-seek, were all events that filled a child’s day. Everyone knew that the moment the street lights came on was the universal curfew and time to go home.
Parents never knew where their kids were all day, but they never worried. Instead, they were confident their kids were safe and having fun.
Ah, the good ol’ days!
SMOKING EVERYWHERE
Remember the days of going out to a restaurant and being asked “Smoking or non-smoking?”
Yes, it’s hard to believe but there was a time when places allowed smoking everywhere. A non-smoking section in a restaurant was sometimes only a table away — which allowed clouds of smoke to billow across your table as you attempted to enjoy your meal. People smoked at work, parents smoked in front of children, visitors freely lit up inside homes while visiting, and airlines even allowed cigarette smoking while traveling at 35,000 feet.
“I can recall the nurses at the triage in the hospital in my hometown, smoking away while working. It was the 80s, man. Crazy times,” a social media user said.
SEXUAL HARASSMENT
This may come as a shock, but it was actually considered normal and acceptable for men to make sexual comments toward women in the workplace at one time.
Yes, a boss could look down a dress at his secretary’s cleavage. A male employee could whistle at a female co-worker in a meeting or slap her on her butt. And nobody would bat an eye.
“Until Anita Hill, I had never even heard the term Sexual Harassment. I literally had no idea it was a thing. You were female, you were employed, men could make insistent advances with zero repercussions. One of my co-workers finally slept with the boss just to try to get him to leave her alone. This was NORMAL. We expected it to happen and accepted that it would, we just had to deal with it,” a female social media user said.
As we look back several decades, it’s not hard to notice that the times have changed and things aren’t the way they used to be. This progress is good in some respects, but not so good in other ways.
OK WASSUP! covers Lifestyle News:
Normal things that are no longer ‘normal.’
