In my day???

Question

How many times have you heard the amazing stories of your elders that begin with "In my day" and usually have something to do with them walking 15 miles in the snow to get to school without any shoes?What stories have you heard and do you personally think they are valid or were they just a way of entertaining you?

The most perplecting things about some stories is that they aren't chronilogically or geographically correct...go figure

Answer 1

My Mom had to pick cotton when she was a child to help make ends meet. My grandfather whom I never knew, left my grandmother with 11 children to raise. My Mom had to quit school in the 6th grade to work. It was no story. It was hard when she was growing up.

Answer 2

Actually there is some truth in those stories. Even though I'm sure they have been embellished over the years. In the 1960's where I lived the school bus did not pick up children that lived less than two miles from the school. So you walked. No bug deal then kids could walk around safely. No way I'd let my daughter do that now. I grew up in a middle class household and we had two TV channels and a AM radio. Satellite, Video games, CD players, computers and the Internet didn't exist. And if there was a hill between your house and school you could walk uphill both ways. Once on the way to school and once on the way home. You also walked downhill once each way. Maybe they're wondering if your smart enough to figure that out.

Answer 3

I think it's their way of trying to impart a truth to you that they've learned. Sometimes it's humorous and sometimes it's not, but I think they're trying to save us some pain as we move through life. If we'll really listen past the words & into context, that is.

Once in awhile my elders tell an entertaining story, but it rarely has 'in my day' anywhere in the telling. So I think that's a hint & clue as to where they're going with any tale.

I've probably only heard the same ones as you, walking through snow, two miles with no shoes....etc....but these are lessons on how to deal with the stress & pressures of life.

Answer 4

We have all heard the stories."I walked to school uphill both ways in the snow". Most of us know thats not true. Although I lived that way. Had 4 sisters and we lived 20 miles out of town. We were dirt poor, parents were drunks and we were left alone for 3 days with no food, ect. not gonna waste anyones time here but it does happen. im only 30 and it happened in my day.

Answer 5

My grampa tells me the same 5 stories of working on the avro arrow back in the day. His friend Les got him the job and was promoted in 3 months, even though there was another guy that had been there longer. My grampa was also the shortes guy on his shift so he would do safety inspections in crazy tight places. He also got to work an hour early everyday to listen to the morning news on the radio.
I think it is my grampa's way of immortalizing himself. Making a piece of him/his stories live on well after he goes. I believe his stories because they aren't exciting enough to come from his imagination.

Answer 6

I've heard the same stories you have. There is no validity to them at all. Just entertainment. Or they could be trying to scare you into doing what they want you to do.

Answer 7

Well, my mom told me she only had six nice outfits growing up. Five for school and one for church. The rest of her clothes were hand-me-downs and stuff made from feed sacks (they came in colors and patterns and were cotton). She also only had three pairs of shoes--school, church, and play. I believe it because she was born during the depression and while her family wasn't really poor, no one had much at that time. Also, my dad had to share a room and a radio with his brother. Same reason as my mom's story.

Answer 8

i like the stories i heard from a guy who walked across the us. two times. just to get away from his parents. he was almost gutted by a serial killer, nearly ended up at john wayne gacey's house and met some junkies who helped him on the way. (no they didn't share drugs they just told him where NOT to stay for the night) now he works at the smithsonian.

Answer 9

Well,,,,,IN MY DAY,,,,,,,,the kids didnt question their elders so much,,,((( actually we believed alot of whatever we were told,,,,no internet or any other way to check the stories,)

Answer 10

i know for sure that most of them may be true but they are just over exaggerated. they make it sound like they were the poorest of all throughout the world. which most of us know that was not true. i think it is mostly to entertain you.