Back in the day, we didn’t rely on artificial intelligence to generate ideas, concepts, and products. We came up with them ourselves, with the creativity stashed in our little three-pound brains. I don’t think everyone’s brains were always working at full-capacity, because some companies invented some doozy products in the 70s and 80s. The following... Continue Reading →

Back in the day… we DIDN’T have too many helicopter parents. Parents didn’t hover over us and protect us from getting hurt. Instead, they said things like, “Quit your bawling or I’ll really give you something to cry about.” Parents didn’t blame the teacher every time we got in trouble. Instead, they often said, “You... Continue Reading →

Back in the day, we had snail mail. We took the time to sit down and write a letter or jot a note on a card. We wrote an address on an envelope, adhered a postage stamp, and then actually put the letter in a mailbox. Sometimes, we even bothered to drive to our local... Continue Reading →

When I was in school, teachers didn’t take many days off. But when they did, they’d bring a substitute in. And boy, did things often get interesting. A bit of disclosure here. I’ve worked as a substitute teacher, going to different schools on a daily basis to fill in for teachers. I’ve had subs fill... Continue Reading →

Hairstyles today, are, to put it bluntly, boring. Yes, we have all the funky colors going on. People have pink, green, and purple hair. But honestly, I don’t think it takes all that much creativity to just color your hair. When it comes to the actual styles, we had some interesting looks, back in the... Continue Reading →

Public education has changed dramatically since I attended school in the previous century. Most of those changes have not been for the best. Mrs. Mercutrode is a middle grade fiction book for elementary students that provides a humorous look at a bygone era. The following includes a synopsis and a link for the book on... Continue Reading →

Sometimes it is fun to step back and look at the big picture. Changes occur so subtly and slowly in our culture that often we don’t even realize what’s changed until we consciously take inventory of our surroundings. The following are some things in life that are very different from… back in the day. Then…... Continue Reading →

When I was a kid, communication was different from what it is now. Today we have cell phones, texting, and email. We have blogs, vlogs, and video conferencing. There’s also an array of social media with everything from Facebook and Twitter to web chats. Back in the day, there were generally three modes of communication.... Continue Reading →