"I forget that my debit card has a chip and I want to swipe it. I still use the word 'bummer' a lot."View Entire Post ›
Recently, I came across this post on the popular "Ask Old People Advice" subreddit from a since-deleted user that sparked a really great conversation. In it, they asked, "Are there any outdated habits from the '60's or '70's that your brain hasn't fully deleted yet?"
"I mean things like glancing around for a phone booth momentarily, before remembering that you have a cellphone, or reaching for your checkbook at the supermarket before remembering that you've been using a debit card for years," they wrote. Plenty of people responded with great answers, so I decided to share. Here are some of the best:
1.
"Two spaces."
2.
"Answering the phone every time it rings."
3.
"I forget that my debit card has a chip and I want to swipe it. I still use the word 'bummer' a lot."
4.
"When I call people on their cellphone, I still identify myself when they pick up."
5.
"I still write checks for bills that need to be sent via snail mail. Two for one, there."
6.
"I still write directions to places on a piece of paper and bring them with me in the car. Satellite navigation is great when it works and a total nightmare when it doesn't. I end up driving down bumpy back roads, missing turn-offs and arriving at a hedge rather than a destination, whereas a trusty piece of paper...well, it just works for me."
7.
"Find myself glancing around for the flashing light on the answering machine when I walk into the house."
8.
"I'm embarrassed if I misspell something or use poor grammar."
9.
"I still make sure I have a wad of cash when I travel, even though I rarely use it. If I leave with $300, I’ll come home with $295."
10.
"Czechoslovakia."
11.
"I'm a 61-year-old woman, and I still give up my seat for 'elders.' Except that, often, the person I'm giving my seat to is younger than I am."
13.
"I take my hat off when I come indoors. Every time. And, if I’m wearing a sport coat, I always wear a tie. The open collar look with a coat feels incomplete to me."
14.
"My Subaru has a Stop-Start feature. It's a fuel-saving feature that stops the engine when you're at an idle, then starts it up when you take your foot off the brake. There's always a hesitation before it starts back up. I had decades of older cars that needed repairs, and every time my Subaru does that, even after two years, my anxiety peaks, and I think there's something wrong with the engine. I hate it, and I have to turn the feature off when I first get into the car."
15.
"I check the mail every day, which I recently learned isn’t something many people do, at least in my neighborhood."
16.
"I wait by the passenger door thinking someone will open it for me. Dumb, I know."
17.
"If I call someone’s cell and get their voicemail, I reflexively identify myself — sometimes I’ll even tell them what approximate time it is that I’m calling them. As a kid, I was so shy to call people, and it took me so much to learn how to do it, and I was so proud to sound coherent in my messages; it kills me to know I now sound completely antiquated and slow."
18.
"I never wear my PJs or fuzzy slippers to Walmart, it just seems wrong. If I get a call on my cell, I walk away from people, and I'm definitely not jabbering away in the check-out lane. Speaking of check-out lanes, I hate self-check-out lanes. I also look before barging my cart out into the aisle. I have my weekly shopping coming up, and I dread it.
19.
"I still use a physical calendar. I keep it on my desk but put it in my purse when I go somewhere I know I'll need to make another appointment. I can't stand using the one on my phone."
20.
"Thinking I have to go to the library to pick up tax forms."
21.
"I still wash dishes by hand. I bought a house with a dishwasher, but I have never used it. I just never adapted to it. I don’t forget to use the dishwasher, I just don’t have any intention of using it. I use my dishwasher to store the lids for my pots and pans."
22.
"I still think of myself as young. ☠️☠️☠️"
23.
"I call it a 'pound' sign. My son calls it a 'hashtag.' It’s a pound sign."
24.
"Every once in a while, while driving, my left foot looks for the clutch."
25.
"I use a refillable fountain pen with a nib. I love ink and pens and paper."
26.
"I still remember the first time I used a microwave to melt chocolate (instead of pulling out the double boiler). I had owned a microwave for probably 25 years before I made the switch."
Feel free to leave your own examples in the comments! I love to read them. Or, if you want to write in but prefer to stay anonymous, you can check out the anonymous form below!
Who knows — your answer could be included in a future BuzzFeed article.
Note: Responses have been edited for length and/or clarity.