Tribute to an Era

During a gathering in honor of the late Margaret “Mickey” MacDonald on Oct. 27, her granddaughter, Katie Kunath, read an essay from one of Mickey’s files about her era:

We are survivors! Consider some of the changes we’ve witnessed since our birth. We were born before television, penicillin, polio shots, frozen foods, Xerox, plastic, silicon chips, silicon implants, contact lenses, Frisbees and the ubiquitous pill. Now don't forget radar, credit cards, ATM cards, split atoms, laser beams, ballpoint pens and PEZ dispensers. Remember the times before pantyhose, dishwashers, clothes dryers, electric blankets, room air-conditioners, drip-dry clothes and personal computers.

We married first and then lived together, what a concept! In our time, closets were for clothes, not for coming out of. Bunnies were small rabbits and rabbits were not Volkswagens. A meaningful relationship meant getting along with your cousins.

We thought fast food was what you ate during Lent, and outer space was back of the theatre. We happened before house-husbands, gay rights, computer dating, dual careers and commuter marriages. We arrived before daycare centers, group therapy and nursing homes. We enjoyed life even before we knew about Stereo FM radio, 8-track tape decks, cassette tape decks, CDs, Video Cassette Recorders, DVDs, electronic typewriters, artificial hearts, heart transplants, yogurt and guys wearing earrings.

For us, time-sharing meant togetherness, not computers or condominiums. A chip was a piece of wood. Hardware meant hardware and software wasn't even a word. An Apple was something we ate!

When we were younger, "made in Japan" meant junk, and the term "make out" referred to how you did on your exam. McDonald's, KFC and instant coffee were unheard of. We went to 5 & 10 cent stores where you could buy things for 5 & 10 cents. For a nickel you could ride a streetcar or make a phone call, buy a Pepsi or enough stamps to mail one letter and two postcards.

In our day, grass was mowed, coke was a cold drink, and pot was something you used to cook with. We arrived before sex changes, toll roads, digital cameras and MP3s. We made do with what we had, and we were the last generation to think you needed a husband to have a baby. We are survivors, giving thanks daily for our good fortune!