Now, if this were the South, where manners, chivalry, and daily friendliness still exist, getting a “Hon” would be expected. Having spent time on business there, and loving it, I know that in the course of a normal day I would get a “Hon, a “Honey”, several “Sugars”, and possibly a “Sweetie Pie” from the hard-working waitresses when I dined (or drank) out. However, I live in the Northeast, where the “Honey’s” from a stranger are few and far between and barely being acknowledged across the counter is more par for the course. So, as you can imagine, this rare display of tender familiarity could only be chalked up to “IT”. My sandwich came out, and she handed it to me with another flash of those pearly whites, and an admonition to “Enjoy, Hon”. Wow, two in a row. I can’t control IT.

I grabbed a seat and starting eating my sandwich, all aglow from my brush with “Hon-ness”. Having nothing else to do while I chomped, I studied those entering the coffee shop and how they were greeted. In came two 20-something contractor types making a coffee run. A big order, but not one “Hon”. Hah, young bucks, I thought. Haven’t earned your “Hon” stripes yet. She must go for the urbane, witty, and sophisticated type. In came a young mother with a child by the hand. The kid got a “what’ll you have, Sweetie?” Understandable, after all, she was a cutie in her brightly colored outfit.

I continued enjoying my sandwich while staring out the window when I heard a “There you go, Hon” spoken. I looked up to see her speaking with…. an “old guy”. I mean, really, an old guy, with slightly stooped walk, thin gray wisps of hair poking out from under his battered ball cap, and get this…. tufts of prominent ear hair! “Must be a fluke”, I nervously said to myself, as an uneasy feeling came over me, eroding my prior confidence. Hell, it was plain for even me to see that this guy didn’t have IT, or at least much of IT left, if he ever had IT.

In came a couple of teenagers, followed by a single woman in business attire, then a forty-ish looking biker-chick type, as evidenced by the Harley T shirt and the tattoo of a rose on her right forearm. All were served efficiently without a single “Hon” to the lot. “See, it was nothing” I was telling myself, when in came another old geezer who waved at the other old guy, and said “I thought I’d find you here”, as he walked to the counter. He placed his order, and the girl smiled, handed him his coffee, and then it all went slow motion for me. “There…You…Go…Hon” she said. My heart sank.

I crumpled the rest of my now tasteless sandwich into the wrapper, grabbed my half-finished coffee, and headed for the door. “See you later, Hon” she said as I pushed open the door. “Yeah, yeah”, I thought, “save it for the old farts.” As I sat in the car staring into space, I got a glimpse of my right ear in the rear view mirror. Was that…. Oh No!…..hair?

How true, How true……..Oh God, sad, but true!!!!

See It Here

10 brand names gone but not forgotten – iconic brands – MSN Money

I read an article in USA today by Liz Szabo, the headline of which proclaimed: “The great outdoors are just that for kids” where she goes on to identify that in just one generation, kids have stopped spending most of their playtime outdoors. Pediatrician Harvey Karp is quoted as saying “It’s the end of thousands of years of normal childhood” . He’s not exaggerating.

I see ads on TV urging kids to “take an hour to play” An hour? How about all of your non-school time?

My Dad blamed the “idiot box” (ie: TV) every time he saw me laying about inside. My Mom would say, Get Out, it’s a beautiful day out there, and I have cleaning to do and you’re underfoot”

If I proclaimed that there was nothing to do, I was told that was my problem, and how she wished she had “nothing to do” She’d say (and I can hear her voice now) “I don’t care what you say, go find something to do. Ride your bike, play ball, call for a friend, whatever, just get lost and come home when the streetlights come on.”  We were allowed to come in to eat lunch or if severely injured, of course, but in between, it was all up to us to occupy our time). And belive me that meant all the time, summer or winter, and it can get damn cold in New England in winter!

Granted, kids today have a lot more “idiot boxes” to entrance them to stay inside, between computers, texting, video games, etc, but any kid under the age of 12 should be turned outside to get some exercise, both physical and mental – the mental part being that of dreaming up something to occupy their time. My kids would say” I’m bored” Really, I’d reply, well, good, now go figure out something to do so you won’t be. What, can’t think of something….well, I have a few things for you to do….That usually sent ‘em scurrying like cockroaches!

Anyway, point being today that the overblown “stranger danger” pap from the media has parents scared shitless to let their kids out of their sight. Doesn’t matter that 78% of abductions are by family members, parents are still overreacting today. There were just as many weirdos out there when we we kids, but we traveled in pairs or groups, and were told if anyone bothered us we were to go up to the first house we came to and bang on the door for help. Of course many more Moms were home then to actually answer the door. In fact, they Mom network had reports going home of any misdeeds long before we got home (Mrs Johnson said she saw you boys throwing rocks at the old factory windows….Busted!) There were a thousand “Mom-eyes” watching our every move – maybe that’s what’s missing. In all my kid-dom, I was never bothered by a molester – Gary the local bully, yes, molester, no.

We played ball, tag, rode bikes, fished, skimmed rocks, climbed trees, built snow/tree forts, went sledding and all that other typical stuff. We skinned our knees, occasionally got stitches, and sometimes got in trouble for getting into the neighbors garden or pool on hot summer days, but we survived – and thrived!

Every generation complains how “soft” the new generation is becoming – and it’s true. But really, kids today are becoming slugs, fatsos, and unimaginative as they expect to be entertained by their gizmos. Should we really need the First Lady setting the reduction of childhood obesity as a priority? Here’s my Mom’s plan – Get Out! Go Do Something! You’re not staying inside all day! You kids are driving me nuts underfoot!

I can’t be 100% sure, but Grandma (center of photo) appears to be flipping us off. A long day with all the screaming kids took it’s toll, I guess

Unfortunately, it may become true as time goes on.

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1. Boomer Gear

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3. Baby Boomer Initiative

A website for people born between 1946 – 1964

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4. Cafe Baby Boomers

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5. Boomer Baby

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www.octanecreative.com/boomerbaby

6. Boomer Net

The Baby Boomer’s Surfing Center

www.boomernet.com

7. National Association of Baby Boomer Women

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The National Association of Baby Boomer Women is the only association devoted to addressing issues concerning 38 million of the healthiest, wealthiest, and best educated generation of women to ever hit midlife, baby boomer women.

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8. Boom!

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9. Baby Boomers United

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