More Whatever Happened To...?

Merry Christmas!

While everyone is writing Christmas-themed posts. I’m in a nostalgic mood. So here is another episode of Whatever Happened To? (For persons of a certain age.)

Whatever happened to street entrepreneurs? Some came by monthly, some daily, and some could be found at fixed locations. The knife sharpener with his foot-powered sharpening wheel and hand-powered files, used to hawk his services every month or so in my childhood neighborhood. In retrospect, I wonder how he could actually make a living sharpening knives and scissors – but he did seem to attract business every time I saw him.

The milkman came daily. He picked up empty bottles and left full bottles in a little insulated box by our front door. The cream made a thick layer on top of each bottle of fresh milk. I wonder if it was Pasteurized? Ha!

Shoe shine boys had fixed locations at the busiest intersections downtown. Often near the kiosks that sold newspapers.

Speaking of newspapers, whatever happened to morning and evening newspapers? Has instant access to news improved our understanding of the world better than those twice daily doses?

Whatever happened to phone booths? Did the Ma Bell monopoly contribute to their existence and long life? Did the breakup into the Baby Bells lead to the subsequent technological disruption that begat cell service and the death of fixed-location phones?

Whatever happened to margarine that was fat-white until you massaged a yellow pill into it, to make it look like butter? Did competition finally prevail?

Whatever happened to bread boxes? Every kitchen had one.

Whatever happened to coal chutes? Oh, yeah. Coal-fired furnaces were replaced with oil burners. Then oil burners were replaced with natural gas furnaces that shared their air handlers with electric air conditioners.

Whatever happened to prickly heat? Lots of folks had prickly heat when I was young. Haven’t heard anything about it for decades. Was there a medical breakthrough? Or did those air conditioners fix it?

Whatever happened to homemade Halloween treats?

Whatever happened to kids walking to school or to the local park alone? Free-range kids!

Whatever happened?