Do you know what a “slippery slide” is? I was talking to Brady, my ‘ GG-son about his day at school. He said, “Well, I got in trouble today.” Surprised, I asked why and he went on……. “because I threw rocks on the slide.” Humm….. “I asked if it was the slippery slide” and he, my grandson and wife and Becky all looked at me like one looks at elders who have no clue what they’re talking about. In unison, they all said, “It’s the “slide.” There is no slippery to it. Where did that come from?”

Why should I be surprised? Absolutely nothing is the same anymore. Try talking to your young grandchildren about “ice-boxes or pop, running boards on cars, a picture show or black and white television. The list goes on…….you can probably add many of your own.

I remember mom and dad talking about Rudolph Valentino, a wildly popular movie star who had all the women swooning in the “picture shows. “ Back in the wild and roaring 20’s with no sound to them what the actors would have said was written across the bottom of the pictures as they flashed by. The actors were moving their lips as if they were talking so lip syncing was started long ago with a different reference. The movie was further enhanced by someone playing a large organ with music corresponding to the film. They sat down at the far edge of the orchestra pit and played away until the end of the movie.

When they figured out how to get sound into movies poor Rudolph Valentino was laughed right out of his job. His career was over and all because he had a high-pitched squeaky voice that didn’t do a thing for the love scenes or talking to the villain in a commanding way. The big change was unkind to Rudolph.

Something I remember, going to the movies on Saturdays, there would be two afternoon shows, then a stage show, then three more movies after that. For the price of one ticket, one could stay and see them all. The live stage show in-between the matinee and evening movies was different every week. I remember one time a lady was riding a white horse, wearing a long bright red dress that was flared over the horse’s back……..a man led the horse in and held on to the bridle until she was finished singing….then they continued on across the stage and out of sight.

Years go by and memory holds a lot of information that’s obsolete to any who have no history with it. In the blink of an eye the youngsters will be telling their grand-children things that sound as foreign and ridiculous.

That’s just the way it goes around……..picture show, movies or whatever they may be called is a ticket to a land of make believe.

Essentially Esther