“Remembrance of things past is not necessarily the remembrance of things as they were.” — Marcel Proust.
I understand that as a society we have to evolve and move forward. We have to engineer smarter and better ways to live, and what was cutting edge just a few years ago is probably obsolete now. How else could we go from Kitty Hawk, where in 1903, Orville Wright rode the Wright Flyer into history, to 1969, when NASA put a man on the moon?
Still, some bits of the past, whether a tradition, a gadget, or a style, hold a bit of nostalgia for me. These are a few of my favorite things, at least in the light of fond memories:
A paper rolodex: When I worked for the United States Department of Labor, there was a lot to keep track of in my job. It was the late ‘80s, so there were no Internet browsers, laptops, or cell phones, but my secret weapon? A spinning bunch of cards, organized alphabetically, was my key to getting anything done. I spent five years curating the most up-to-date collection of names, numbers, and other information. The people I could reach just by flipping through a few cards would rival a Google search engine any day. Time has marched on, and now we are all connected in “clouds” of data, but that Rolodex is still in a box somewhere in the attic, just in case.
Round and round: We don’t turn anything anymore. Car windows go up or down at the push of a button instead of a crank handle. I miss all those chrome bits on cars, including the little triangle-shaped vent windows you pushed out with your hand; mid-century design was so space age at the time.
A rotary phone is a mystery to anyone younger than 35. Still, I remember wanting the Tiffany sterling silver phone dialer that Holly Golightly and Paul looked at in the movie “Breakfast at Tiffany’s.” Just for kicks, the other day, I used a hand-powered can opener that I bought on a trip to Maine in high school, to ensure I remembered how, but also to bring back the memory of a good time. “To everything… turn, turn, turn… there is a season” except, maybe not so much anymore.
Phone booths: These are a love/hate thing for me. Going to college before cell phones meant waiting for the rates to go down on a Sunday night and dashing for the phone booth at the end of my hall to call home. So many awesome conversations happened there as I huddled in the chair next to the phone, catching up with my parents, and telling my floor mates, “OK, OK, calm down and give me two more minutes!”
Almost no payphones are left around, but in a post-pandemic world, I’m glad of that. No way do I want to pick up something that someone’s gooby hands, snoogery nose, and spittle-spewing lips were just on; it’s just not for me. So, fond memories, sure, but I don’t miss them that much, except when my cell phone battery died at the same time my car battery died, and I couldn’t call anyone.
Mail order: When I was little, it was all about the cereal box or the cookies with a prize included. Sometimes, the prize was in the box, but other times, you had to mail away a dollar and some box tops and then wait… weeks sometimes… for the prize to arrive. Once it did? Was there anything better than ripping open a box and getting a free Tony the Tiger Charm bracelet or a Yogi Bear spoon? I can probably push a button on eBay and get one now, but it’s not the same.
It’s not my way to get stuck in the past. I try to embrace new experiences, new tech, and new “stuff,” but every once in a while, I remember something fondly when I know for certain that I was impatient and cranky waiting on my mail-order prizes, the handle of the car window was often hot enough to burn my hand, and index cards could fall out of a Rolodex, and then they’re gone forever.
And so it goes: Our memories are often unrealistic, but if they bring a smile, it’s all still good.
Brenda Kelley Kim has lived in Marblehead for 50 years, and is an author, freelance writer, and mother of three. Her column appears weekly.