I remember the bygone days of social networking, the CB radio. The
most sought after model was the Golden Eagle, and my Dad drooled over
this and finally got one. The antenna I remember thinking stretched to
heaven...LOL...but of course it didn't. Everything is bigger when
you're a kid. He became 'hooked' on his CB radio, talking for hours,
making friends, and everybody had a 'handle' in those days, like people
in chatrooms on Yahoo, remember? Its the same thing really only in a
different form. When Dad left his CB room, we'd sneak in and boy it was
a fancy gadget! knobs everywhere, you could talk to people privately
and of course there was emergency channels, and of you could tune in
people from overseas! We would "break-break" the line by pushing that
lever down on the microphone, it was a rush, especially when somebody
answered you back! :)
My dad became an avid and addicted CB'er
with the handle of "Cabbage Head," and my mom, "Brussel Sprouts." Its
interesting to glimpse back and marvel at how social media has evolved,
and sometimes not for the better I'm afraid. Everywhere now its
cellphones, tablets, its ridiculous! Just the other day when breaking
from jury duty out in a big hallway, I bet you 50 people were standing
there gawking at their cell phones ignoring those around them, not
engaging in conversation, rather staring blankly into this gadget. It
felt rather lonely to be without technology!
As far as actually
meeting people, the CB was also a good tool for that. Dad made many
friends and acquaintances over the years, and we made many a Sunday
drive to visit his CB buddies. Mom had fun on it too! Dad did allow us
to play on it but not very much; it was his grownup toy! Those were
some of the best memories of a childhood past, of my Dad with his
Browning Eagle.
Have a gr8 night everybody. Happy Fourth!
