Older Generations Are Revealing The Everyday Things From Their Youth That Have Now Vanished, And It's A Walk Down Memory Lane

Older Generations Are Revealing The Everyday Things From Their Youth That Have Now Vanished, And It's A Walk Down Memory Lane

As we get older, I'm sure there always comes a day (or two or three) when we find ourselves saying, "Man, I miss the good 'ole days."

A retro television screen displaying a pixelated video game
Nemke / Getty Images

So, when Reddit user u/ElectricToiletBrush posed the question, "What are some very subtle things that have disappeared in your life time?" In r/AskOldPeople, I knew it would be a wonderful and nostalgic trip down memory lane:

1."Fireflies. There used to be fireflies everywhere at night."

A field with tall grass at night illuminated by numerous glowing fireflies among scattered trees

2."People carrying coins in their front pockets. You never hear that familiar jingle anymore."

u/Eye_Doc_Photog

3."Children playing outside in all kinds of weather. Now, even on a sunny day, there are hardly any kids outside."

Two children bundled in winter coats and hats and playing in the snow

4."Calling a business or medical office and having an actual human answer. I miss that every day."

u/ideasinca

5."Soap on a rope. It was quite a thing for a while. You were sure to get some every Christmas from someone."

A rectangular soap bar with a looped rope attached to one end

6."Being able to buy light bulbs that had a warm glow instead of an icy glare. And on a similar theme, being able to see thousands of stars in the night sky."

u/RegTruscott

7."Holidays without gross commercialization. There was always a commercial side to Christmas, but now EVERY holiday has its own appropriately decorated assorted crap."

A woman in a store is excitedly pointing to holiday ornaments on a shelf

8."No more Trick or Treaters on Halloween."

Children dressed in skeleton and witch costumes holding pumpkin buckets and trick-or-treating

9."Going to college and pro sports events without having to walk through a metal detector, use a small clear bag, and receive a dirty look from the security people."

u/my_clever-name

10."Anticipating a new album coming out, going to Tower Records, bringing it home, carefully placing it on the record player, trying to figure out the meaning of the cover, and reading the liner notes."

Hands placing a vinyl record onto a turntable

11."Payphones. I’m sentimental for them."

u/Wild_Debt_8065

12."Clotheslines. I haven't seen one anywhere but in the Eastern Kentucky Appalachians."

A person hangs freshly washed clothes on a clothesline in a sunny backyard, holding a laundry basket filled with clothes

13."Magazines. They used to be everywhere. I loved leafing through the Reader’s Digest in the doctor’s waiting room. And if I were going on a long trip, I’d get Cosmo, Glamour, and Mademoiselle and just revel in reading them cover to cover."

u/Wishyouamerry

14."Butterflies. The air was chock full of them in the '70s. Now I hardly see them anymore at all."

Several monarch butterflies resting and flying around a green bush

15."Video stores. There was nothing more enjoyable than visiting Blockbuster on a Friday evening."

u/icaria0

And finally, this person shared something that every concert enthusiast and music lover can totally understand:

16."Having to buy concert tickets at a record store or the venue. There were no internet trolls buying all of the tickets in a matter of seconds. I also miss having that paper ticket in my hand. I kept all of them, and no matter how long it has been, whenever I look at one of them, I remember the show so well."

Three people are smiling as they approach a ticket booth window, with an arm extending a ticket to them

Note: Submissions have been edited for length and/or clarity.

Have any more things that have disappeared over your lifetime that you really miss? Let me know in the comments!