Let's take a walk down the alleys of our simple past, where things were not fancy but they were definitely worthwhile.
Editor’s note: This article was originally published on September 6, 2019. It has since been updated.
Our understanding of technology is totally different from our elders. While modern technologies have made our life easier it does come with a fair amount of cons. From giving us sleepless nights to restless days and social anxiety, a lot of people are now considering momentary breaks from using gadgets and social media.
While folks these days are waiting for the next version of everything to be released, there were times a new object was carefully admired with fascination. It isn't just their functionality that we enjoyed, but the joy of using them and waiting for results. Consider the art of photography or just taking pics of a family gathering. You had to hold it steady, get everyone to pose, take a few because you will never know if any of them would appear "shaken" and then wait for the films to be developed. That kind of joy is a thing of the past. They belong to the days of tape recorders, fountain pens, wooden armchairs, tea kettles, etc. Here are few such old-school gadgets that only a few would remember.
Imagine trying to put a thread into the eye of the needle, tough right? Well, it was quite simple back in the day. These tiny gadgets with a coin-like top and diamond-shaped needle attached to it is a true life-saver. If you are into knitting and sewing you would still miss this useful little tool. Wildly popular back then, the needle threader was introduced in the twenties. Gone were the days of struggling for better light or straining your eyes, which tricked you into believing you almost got it. With this in hand, you just had to put the thread through the inlet, and the threader takes care of the rest.
Speaking of needle threaders, these colored chalks, known as the Tailor Chalks are tiny tablets of nostalgia. Tailors marked the cloths with these chalks to mark measurements and places to cut/sew. Well, this would not be an alien tool for the 90s kids.
Now, rest assured that our youth will have no clue about these rugged-looking things. These were used to open cans and bottle caps before twist offs or pull-tabs existed. If you could recognize them, then congratulations, you are an old soul! There are interesting theories on why these bottle openers were called church keys. The reasons range from monks storing wine in cellars and someone assuming they were keys to the church to the fact that they were used to open wines in large gatherings.
Millennials love to boast about their mechanical skills with which they can fix any machine or gadget. However, we can bet that most of them would not know about this tiny little thing that looks like a fidget wheel. And even if they found one, they wouldn't know how to use it. A record adapter was used to adjust an unfitting record into the record player. Since record players or records have gone out of use, these adapters are extremely difficult to find.
Sauna pants created quite a buzz not long ago. Almost every TV channel screamed with ads that claimed to help you reduce weight in no time. Turns out, those were not modern equipment. In fact, they date back to the 70s when these inflatable pants were very popular and promised to help one lose weight. While you might think is a far-fetched claim, the fact that they still them in different versions says much.
