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American News, Aberdeen, S.D., Jeff Bahr column: Some people cling to tradition [American News, Aberdeen, S.D.]
(Aberdeen American News (SD) Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) Jan. 2--I'm an old-fashioned guy.
I prefer real Christmas trees, wooden bleachers and straight-on kickers.
I like dusty old arenas, root beer and coffee sold in steel cans.
Debit cards aren't for me. I'll be the last guy in town writing checks.
I don't own a cell phone. My kids own Google Droids and BlackBerry Storms.
I'm not interested. To me, real phones are landline phones.
I like downtown movie theaters, milk in paper cartons and Throwback Mountain Dew (made with real sugar).
I like shopping at Sears.
It's getting harder, but I'm still taking pictures with film.
People say nobody checks the phone book anymore. I use it all the time.
Behind the wheel, lots of people text, talk on the phone or tinker with their GPS.
When I drive, I listen to the radio.
I like jump balls, the old-fashioned 3-point play and basketball players who raised their hands when they committed a foul.
When I think about watching TV, I wonder what's on CBS.
I don't pay bills online. The post office is an important part of my life.
I assume DVD stands for Dick Van Dyke.
I like college football games on Saturday.
I believe in tradition. I like watching the Detroit Lions on Thanksgiving Day.
The sports stadiums I love my kids call dumps.
To hear music, I believe you need a turntable.
I'll use a microwave, but I think food tastes better made in a conventional oven.
I still watch the Miss America pageant. But I miss Bert Parks.
I also miss Harry Reasoner, PF Flyers and the days when recorded music came in big, floppy cardboard album covers.
I still associate downtown with fun and excitement. Remember, as Petula Clark said, "We can forget all our troubles, forget all our cares and go downtown."
The world used to be full of different materials, such as gunny sacks, bushel baskets and wooden crates. Now everything is made of plastic.
I'm not totally opposed to everything new. I think push-button phones are neat. The transistor is a great invention. And I still appreciate a car's power windows.
Some people might consider me an inspiration. But to most, I'm a dinosaur.
Jeff Bahr is an American News reporter. He writes a blog three times a week at http://my605.com/shootingthebreeze. His e-mail address is jbahr@aberdeennews.com. His phone number is 605-622-2320.
To see more of the American News, or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.aberdeennews.com.
Copyright (c) 2010, American News, Aberdeen, S.D.
Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.
For reprints, email tmsreprints@permissionsgroup.com, call 800-374-7985 or 847-635-6550, send a fax to 847-635-6968, or write to The Permissions Group Inc., 1247 Milwaukee Ave., Suite 303, Glenview, IL 60025, USA.
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