When we were growing up we'd hear about how people lived in the past and couldn't believe how hard things were "back then". Our parents or grandparents may have lived through some of it, but most of use knew people who grew up with cars, refrigerators, telephones and indoor plumbing, so it's not like they were living in the stone age. Recently though, I've come to realzie how this little device that I carry around as regurlarly as my wallet has changed the way the world works and I was just thinking about how differently I would lived as a kid.

Let's do a run down of a Friday night as a teenager when my generation was teenagers back in the Bronx. Let's assume I had some friends and some sort of social life, which I rarely did, but it was complicated. Remember with me.

Okay, you and some friends talked during the week about catching some great new movie this weekend. It's Friday, the Crosby pizza box is empty, it's 7:30 PM and you want to make it to the Interboro before 9 ish to catch the flick. First, let's load your pockets.

You'll need the usual stuff, money for the movie, keys AND Quarters. At least three or four, for the pay phone. You may have to call a friend, a cab or home to say you'll be late. On your way out the door your mom asks what time the movie is and you say you're not sure. You're not even positive which theatre you'll go to because some of your friends in Co-op city may be going and so and so's older brother may drive you out there. Mom hands you a section of the newspaper so you can check movie times when you all get together.

You go the friend's house which is closest to you and hope some of your other friends are already there. Nobody's home. Maybe you should have called first? Hmmm. Time to move onto the next house, but what if they're headed back? If they're headed to your house your mom will tell them you were headed out to find them and they'll all go back to the first house, but if they head straight to the theatre you'll spend all night like a dork sitting on some steps in front of someone's house because you thought you knew the plan and you didn't. If only there was some way to get a quick message to your buddies!

A scrap of paper and a pen that's in your jacket pocket from school will have to do. "Headed to John Doe's house. Meet me there" shoved through the mail slot and you're on your way.

You run into everyone half way to John Doe's house. They had just come from your house and were back to SO and SO's because your Mom had told them you were there. No time to walk and So and SO's brother went out. You go back to your house and call a cab (save that Quarter)

You go through the paper and pick the movie. Hey, John Doe is using your phone! WHo is he calling? Some girls? Ya, we can get the cab to swing by and pick up some girls, only they're girls and the directions they give suck. Each of us has an idea, but none of them work. This cab ride is getting expensive. Pop out a payphone, call the girls, ask to speak to the resident Dad. 15 minutes later you're there. Ask to use their phone. (You're already down one precious quarter) You call home, tell Mom the cab driver got lost and you have to go to a later show. Being a Gentleman you have to escort the girls back home too, so you'll be late. The cab driver looks at the ten of you and calls a second cab.

WHat about What's his face? What's his face was supposed to meet us at the theater for the 9ish! He'll think we ditched him. Leave a message with Mom and hope What's his face finds a payphone and calls to find out we're on our way with "girls" who turned out to be someone's visiting cousins and now we're seeing a PG movie with no masked killer or monsters, but that's okay.

Off to the theatre. FInd out What's his face was pretty upset, but he called his Mom to pick him up who had called your Mom about a PTA meeting. Your Mom told his mom to tell him, should he call, that you were on the way. What's his name thinks John Doe's friend's cousins are cute and all is well.

The movie is okay, but it's over and we're all gonna' try to walk home and save some cab fair. On the way home we get hungry and thirsty. Do we have time to stop? You find a payphone to call Mom. It's late, but the DIner is open. Yes you have enough money. Your friends will be with you. You'll get more Quarters and call if you need anything. Alll your friends call after you and say "His Mom said it was okay"

All is well. An hour to eat. 2 hours to walk home. 1 AM you saunter in the door exhausted and your Mom is pretending to read a book on the couch because she would never stay up waiting for you.

If you had a cellphone you could have called your friends to find out where to meet, texted them if you missed each other, used the GPS to find the girls and checked movie times online. You could have called Mom to say you'd be late, let What's his name know why you were running late and the girls could have been coy about giving you their numbers saying "text us when you get home so we know you're safe".


Man it was tough living in the world before the "smart phone" we just had no idea.