In History is Perspective

I received an email with the following content today.

I tried to find out if the details are accurate,
but I am not sure of the specifics without
spending the time investigating each one.

I did find an interesting link, addressing it
as an urban legend that is constantly being
revamped. You can view it, if you like here.

If you don't do it already,
you may want to check
www.snopes.com
when you receive an email
before forwarding it on as "fact."
More than once I have found out
that something I received wasn't
telling the whole truth.
(It is said that there is some truth
in many urban legends).

What I find interesting, in principle, is
to consider how things have changed over the
last decades. It is interesting to see
how perspectives change, and was once "good"
or at the very least "acceptable" has become
something very different years later, or
vice versa. What exactly does that say?

Looking at these types of things with an open
mind (I believe) can help to transform ways of
thinking that might not necessarily be
beneficial and/or helpful to individuals,
or society, as a whole.

It's an interesting conversation
for another day. In the meantime,
I share these tidbits as fodder for thought.

Enjoy the ride.


1908 vs. 2008
***
The average life expectancy was 47 years.

Only 14 percent of the homes had a bathtub.

Only 8 percent of the homes had a telephone.

There were only 8,000 cars and only 144 miles
Of paved roads.

The maximum speed limit in most cities was 10 mph.

The tallest structure in the world was the Eiffel Tower!

The average wage in 1908 was 22 cents per hour.

The average worker made between $200 and $400 per year.

A competent accountant could expect to earn $2000 per year,
A dentist $2,500 per year,
a veterinarian between $1,500 and $4,000 per year,
and a mechanical engineer about $5,000 per year.

More than 95 percent of all births took place at HOME .

Ninety percent of all doctors had NO COLLEGE EDUCATION!
Instead, they attended so-called medical schools, many of which
Were condemned in the press AND the government as 'substandard. '

Sugar cost four cents a pound.

Eggs were fourteen cents a dozen.

Coffee was fifteen cents a pound, and they were actually 1 LB.

Most women only washed their hair once a month,
and used Borax or egg yolks for shampoo.

Canada passed a law that prohibited poor people from
Entering into their country for any reason.

Five leading causes of death were:
1. Pneumonia and influenza
2. Tuberculosis
3. Diarrhea
4. Heart disease
5. Stroke

The American flag had 45 stars.

The population of Las Vegas, Nevada, was only 30!!!!

Crossword puzzles, canned beer, and ice tea
hadn't been invented yet.

There was no Mother's Day or Father's Day.

Two out of every 10 adults couldn't read or write.
Only 6 percent of all Americans had graduated from high school.

Marijuana, heroin, and morphine were all available over the counter at the local corner drugstores. Back then pharmacists said, 'Heroin clears the complexion, gives buoyancy to the mind, regulates the stomach and bowels, and is, in fact, a perfect guardian of health.'

Eighteen percent of households had at least
one full-time servant or domestic help.

There were about 230 reported murders in the ENTIRE USA!
***