In 1971:
- A first class stamp cost 8 cents
- World Series Champions: Pittsburgh Pirates
- Superbowl V Champions: Baltimore Colts
- Most Popular TV shows:
- All in the Family
- The Flip Wilson Show
- Gunsmoke
- The Mary Tyler Moore Show
- Here's Lucy
- Some Number One Songs:
- My Sweet Lord, George Harrison
- Knock Three Times, Dawn
- One Bad Apple, The Osmonds
- Me and Bobby McGee, Janis Joplin
- Just My Imagination, The Temptations
- Joy to the World, Three Dog Night
- You've Got a Friend, James Taylor
- How Can You Mend a Broken Heart, The Bee Gees
- Go Away Little Girl, Donny Osmond
- Gypsys, Tramps & Thieves, Cher
I remember listening to records, 8-tracks, cassettes, CD's, and now we just download songs from iTunes.
The first computer we bought was an Apple 64Kb/memory. I could type faster than the computer could respond. Now we have laptops, iPads and iPhones.
Not long after we were married we purchased a Chevy Impala for $6,000.00. The GMC Envoy sitting in our driveway today is not only more expensive but is equipped with shoulder harness seat belts, airbags, cup holders (not enough for my liking), dual temperature controls. We're still not up there with leather and heated/cooling seats, nor GPS installed. We do have booster seats for the younger grandchildren, while our own kids stood up in the back floorboard with no car seats. Thankfully, they survived.
We've always had color TV, but they have gotten larger, thinner, with crisper pictures and better sound. They now hang on the wall.
In 1972 Dave and I moved from Anchorage, Alaska to Cleveland, Tennessee for two years where Dave went to college. We shipped four BIG cardboard boxes of household goods (remember we hadn't been married long and didn't have much) for $78.00. We drove from Anchorage to Cleveland and the gas in Alaska cost 55-cents/gallon. In Canada it was closer to 70-cents/gallon. Although it was sold by the liter, we figured the cost by gallons. When we got back in the states (lower 48), the gas varied from 30 to 40-cents/gallon. Hotel rooms were $10.00 to $15.00. Forty years later, in Fairbanks, Alaska we're paying $3.89/gallon (it just went down from over $4.00/gal); and a hotel room these days would be more than 10 times what they cost back then. However, the two years we lived in Tennessee, I worked at Bowaters in Athens, TN for $350.00/month. That's right....a month. Dave worked for the college and his income went directly toward his tuition. He did have the opportunity to play drums in quite a few recording sessions making $10.00/hour. Wow - big money!! When we moved back to Alaska we were in the middle of the gas shortage crisis. Fortunately we had no problems getting gas over those 5,000 miles home.
It's fun to reminisce back to the "good old days." I wouldn't trade them for anything and I'm thankful Dave and I have been able to take this journey together. One day my grandchildren will look back to 2012 (if the Lord tarries) and the changes will probably be just as significant....or more so.
"One thing God has spoken, two things have I heard: that You, O God, are strong, and that You, O Lord, are loving." Psa 62:11
