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Back in the old days, technology wasn’t nearly advanced as it is today and people learned how to do things without it. A Reddit thread is giving us a flashback to those by asking, “People born before 1990, what trivial skill do you possess that no one uses anymore?” More than 7-thousand responses have come in and these are some of the best.
"I can cover a textbook with a brown paper bag."
"I can unknot curly telephone wire and get all the curls facing the right way and behaving themselves."
"The ability to make and count out change for a purchase."
"Crash-starting a manual car by rolling down a hill in second gear with the ignition on, then popping the clutch — cars were not so reliable back in the day!"
"Making paper fortune tellers." (We used to call these Cootie Catchers!)
"Texting with 10 keys. I still have it all memorized and could pick up a flip phone and send paragraphs if needed."
"I still know how to set up a VCR to record a television program in advance."
"Being able to get the sharpest reception for the TV channel you're watching by turning the giant dial on the top of the television that rotates the ginormous antenna on the roof."
"I write in cursive — does that count?"
"Using the Dewey Decimal at the library."
"I outright destroyed Super Mario Brothers in almost no time flat very recently on the Nintendo Switch after not having played it for probably 30 years. I did it totally from memory on just the second run-through. My kids thought I was a god (for just a few minutes)."
"How about winding a tape with a pencil after your tape deck [broke]?"
"I can re-fold a map correctly."
"My kids think it's absurd that I can remember how to get places without a GPS after just going there once or twice."
"I can develop and process photographic film and enlarge prints in a darkroom."
"Record to tape from the radio. Trying to make sure to not get the DJ/presenter talking or an ad."