Memories

Most people who meet me think I am a lot younger than I am. Most seem to think this is a good thing, but I wish I looked more my age for professional reasons; in riding, skill comes with experience and time. The truth is, I am 36 years old. In the grand scheme that isn't even that old really. People are often living to 80 or 90 years old now days despite the best efforts of our health care system. Can you imagine the things that someone in their 90's would have seen? World Wars, the Great Depression, the Moon Landing, Elvis. They would have lived before TV and when the main modes of transport were horses and trains.

Even in my relatively short life time I have seem many changes, and lived through some historic times: I was in East Berlin and have seen the Berlin wall from both sides, and I saw the footage of it being turned into rubble. I remember the first Space Shuttle Launch. I remember when Edmonton really did seem to be the City of Champions with many winning sports teams. I lived through the Cold War and remember the onslaught of Nuclear war doomsday movies. I remember when Micheal Jackson took the world by storm with his music. I remember when MTV and music videos first came out.

When I young we didn't have the conveniences of Microwave Ovens, dishwashers (well...we had Mom), or even Velcro. Things took time. Like dialling a rotary phone. Do they still make kids toy phones that are rotary? Do Kids even know what I am talking about? And when you dialled zero, you got an actual person at the end of the line to help you find a phone number. And Alberta just had one area code: 403.

Household computers came about when I was young too. Our first one was an Apple IIe. I don't even think it had a mouse. You had to type in commands. And dot Matrix printers. What a sound they made. I remember playing Asteroids and thinking it was so cool; a triangle attacking odd shaped blobs.

We definitely didn't have Internet, so horse shopping meant scouring newspapers, postings in tack stores, and by asking around.

When I was growing up there weren't cell phones, heck, we didn't even have an answering machine! Now it is annoying when someone doesn't have a cell phone or at least voice mail; I am so used to being able to get a hold of someone when I want to, to at least leave a message, and I have a panic attack if I realize I left home without my cell phone!

Stores were closed on Sunday, and banks had...well Banker's hours. There were no ATMs. You had to go during the day, stand in a long line and wait to talk to a teller. Your account information was updated into your bank book. I remember I was reluctant to use ATMs as I was worried about the Tellers loosing their jobs...but now I can't imagine not having ATMs.

When I was a kid, we all thought there would be hover cars by now though...where are the hover cars? Although the cars we have no have come a long ways from the giant blue station wagon my family took on huge road trips (as far as Mexico). No Air conditioning and blue vinyl seats. But it sat all 6 of us, with 2 seats to spare. Good times.

So do I seem older NOW?

Karen