Jean's Journal: Changes in our lifetime

By Jean Farrell

When we were children, most of us got our first televisions in the mid-60s. The whole family sat down in front of this small set, every night.

Together, we all watched such exciting programmes as Daithí Lacha, Murphy agus a Cháirde, Seoirse agus Beartlaí, Buntús Cainte, Bláithín, School Around the Corner, Monica Sheridan, Rin Tin Tin, Wanderly Wagon and Mr Ed (a talking horse).

These were in black and white. We only had one channel. All of us thought that this was very wonderful indeed!

And in order to adjust the volume, we actually had to get up off our chairs and walk to the television. Such hardship!

By the time we were young parents ourselves, colour television had arrived. We now had a choice of two channels. I watched many programmes with my little children. I knew how to get to Sesame Street, and I saw what was going on behind Bosco’s magic door. I bet many of you did too!

Our all-time-favourites, back then, were ‘The Waltons’ and ‘Little House on The Prairie’. Weren’t Mr John Walton and Mr Charles Ingalls much better role models, as fathers, than the bumbling buffoons, Peppa Pig and Homer Simpson?

We couldn’t rewind, pause or fast-forward programmes. If we were bored, we learnt to be bored!

I thought of all this recently as I was reading an article about what children watch nowadays, on their smartphones. You probably have read the same and it’s frightening.

However, do you know that people worried about the terrible effects television would have on children, too?

I insist on being optimistic. From all I’ve seen, throughout my life, I firmly believe that what most affects children is not what they see on their screens. What affects them most is what they learn from their parents’ example.

I observe past pupils of mine behaving exactly as their parents did. They have their parents’ values and attitudes. They live their lives accordingly, with very few exceptions.

Children don’t change. It’s the world around them that is changing. One could write books about the huge changes which have taken place since we were young.

Here are a few, which friends and I discussed lately.

All during the months of May and June, I watched many school tours arriving at Bay Sports, in Hodson Bay. Here, they had wonderful fun on the bouncing castles and floating slides. I know of many secondary school students who went to Paris and other European cities on their tours.

When we were teenagers, in boarding school, we went to Knock! A friend’s class was taken to see Oliver Plunkett’s head in Drogheda. She had nightmares for years afterwards!

Another change. My friend was going to a wedding lately and she was wondering how much money to give the couple, as a present. There was no such difficulty in our day.

We were setting up our first homes, when we returned from our honeymoons (in Ireland.) Therefore, we welcomed the presents we received. We got irons, sets of saucepans, china, kettles, cutlery, blankets and more.

I still have one Pyrex dish from a set I received. I still have two sets of china, because I’ve never used them. One friend has a set of Constellation sheets, which were manufactured in Gentex. I wonder have you any of your original wedding presents still.

I found the following to be a big change too. I was in a house of a young mother lately. Her grandfather was celebrating his birthday shortly, and she asked me would I post her card to him on my way home. She opened the lovely card. However, there was problem. She couldn’t find a pen anywhere in her house.

I was astonished. “Do you not write shopping lists, or letters or anything?” I asked her. She had to think about this. “No,” she said.

“I write lists on my phones. I send emails to pals.” In fact, she realised that she hadn’t actually written anything for ages. I found three biros in my shopping basket and gave her one.

As I walked home, I thought of my own young grandchildren. One has won hand-writing competitions for the last few years, in school. However, in future times, will she ever use this lovely skill?

I’ve mentioned the following changes before, but they are worth repeating.

Up until recently, cigarettes were sold in many types of shops. They were displayed clearly on shelves for all to see. It was considered chic and cool to smoke. Condoms were nowhere to be seen. They were considered bad and evil. They were strongly disapproved of.

Now cigarettes are nowhere to be seen. They are considered bad and evil. Hidden out of view, they are strongly disapproved of. Meanwhile condoms are sold in many types of shops. They are displayed clearly on shelves for all to see. It is considered right and responsible to purchase them. What a change!

We never addressed an older woman by her Christian name. Neighbours were referred to as Mrs Bannon and Mrs Sammon. When I began teaching it was the same. Even though they were my work colleagues, I always addressed the older teachers as Mrs Madigan, Mrs Corrigan and Mrs Cooke.

Language has changed too. Certain words cannot be used as they may upset people.

Mary Rushe was a woman who worked in our butcher-shop’s office, in the 1950s. She lived out the Ballymahon Road.

She’d tell us that she cycled in past Tinker’s Cross and Faggot Hill.

Could you say that nowadays?

jeanfarrell@live.ie