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Mr. Ed

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What We Did Before Computers

by Mr. Ed — Read all 1,530 poems by Mr. Ed

Monday, February 7, 2011


Poem Artwork
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In Response to Ed Matlack’s Poem,

What Did We Do Before Computers?

 

 

We took our dogs on long nature-filled walks,

With our neighbors, we had face-to-face talks,

We went out bird-watching bald eagles and hawks.

Our kids played outdoors, and went on camping trips,

From the old-timers, we got some really great fishing tips,

Across a clear blue lake or city pond, flat rocks we would skip.

We actually wrote birthday greetings and love letters, by longhand,

We had picnics in the park, and we spent hours building castles in the sand,

If you ask me, I believe those pre-computer days, were so marvelously grand.

In the winter-time, we went ice skating, sledding, to the movies, and even ice fishing,

I’m feeling nostalgic now, and for those good old pre-computer days, I’m really wishing.

And now, my Brother Ed has got me thinking about getting rid of my computer all together,

I guess I’ll have to contemplate all of this, while walking my dogs, in today’s snowy weather.

(And the non-stop cell phone texting today,

By both children and adults, drives me insane;

We were an active and healthy species before all this,

And we were able to enjoy things, both simple and plain.)

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©2011, An Extremely Nostalgic, Mr. Ed

 
    


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Reviewed by m j hollingshead
Reviewed on February 11, 2011
well said

Reviewed by Annabel Sheila
Reviewed on February 8, 2011
Amen!!!! Life has become entirely too dependent upon electronic this and that! When my grandson comes over for a sleepover, we only let him watch a little of cartoons, etc. Then it's time for full contact play with Grammy....we play cars, trains, we read, tell jokes, etc. and its way more fun than the computer!

Anna

Reviewed by Patrick Granfors
Reviewed on February 7, 2011
All true yet you seem to have managed to preserve significant outdoor time at least. Letters and cards are such a rarity. Patrick

Reviewed on February 7, 2011
AMEN PEEWEE - AMEN!

Reviewed by John Flanagan
Reviewed on February 7, 2011
Striking a balance is the thing, Ed, between these machines
and the active involved lives we used to lead before the addiction; in one way i'm glad my eyesight's poor cause i'm not allowed ro spend much time in front of the monitor but then my book reading's curtailed, too...can't win.
As for the under-25s, i feel most but not all of them are lost and on my way to and from the shops i'm so fed up of being bumped into - 5 times yesterday in a 7-10 minute walk - by little skitters not looking where they're going, too busy texting, and texting what...wassup n whatcha eatin? And apart from the textbooks they have to swat not one of them reads a thing. Enough!

Nostagia ain't what it used to be.

John

Reviewed on February 7, 2011
In many ways we miss the good old days but I doubt we want to return to them completely Ed! Enjoyed the insightful poem.

Reviewed on February 7, 2011
Ed,

This is a great walk down memory lane and REAL communicating instead of texting, cell phone, Internet. Most of my friends I've never met now that I think of it. They're all on-line. One thing I have to agree with Dan though, NO one could every read my handwriting!!

Reviewed by Michael Guy
Reviewed on February 7, 2011
We do sit on our collective "asses" quite a lot due to computers, but there is no law saying because of them we cannot still walk! You're proof of that! Thank god, I got rid of my TV but still not that thrilled walking around "old Lake Stinkhole" here in FL...
Enjoy your winter walk - take one for me!

Reviewed by D Johnson
Reviewed on February 7, 2011
I'm with Richard on this one, my friend, if you tried reading my hand writing, you'd go out and buy me a computer if I didn't all ready have one.

"Those were the days" but this is a new day and age. As far as texting is concerned, I agree we've gone too far.
Cheers,
Dan

Reviewed by Chessly Nesci
Reviewed on February 7, 2011
Love the music and the poem! :)

Reviewed by Richard King
Reviewed on February 7, 2011
Nice write Ed, but I wouldn't want to go backwards in this area.... I had a "word processor" for quite a long time before I got my first computer... NO COMPARISON!!! Writing is so much easier with cut & past, the ability to open multiple windows and all the other features of my computer. And before the word processor, as error prone as I am, it was a joke trying to get anything meaningful completed. Lots of "crossing out" and wadded up pages, just to get a decent poem written. Wish I had the time back, but not the equipment.

Thanks Dick

Reviewed by Lew Duffey
Reviewed on February 7, 2011
I know what you mean, Ed but on the other side I still do many of them (the ones I'm just not too old for anymore? Then I can come home and share it with friends like you who I would have never come across.
God bless,
Lew

Reviewed by Ed Matlack
Reviewed on February 7, 2011
Yep we did enjoy an outward lifestyle back then, & it wasn't all that far back in time..I still know a very few friends that don't have a computer and never did & they say they never will...but I AM ADDICTED, I'm afraid...good write, Ed.............Jerseeeeeeeeeeeeeey


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