© irene waters 2015
Happy New Year to everyone on the first day of the month. I’d like to invite you to join with me in a prompt challenge that will give us social insights into the way the world has changed between not only generations but also between geographical location. The prompt can be responded to in any form you enjoy – prose, poetry, flash, photographs, sketches or any other form you choose. You may like to use a combination of the two. I will also add a series of questions for those that would like to join in but don’t know where to start.
Heading your response please put what generation you belong to.
The Generations that I think may possibly be blogging:
Greatest Generation
G I Generation: 1901 – 1924 Experienced WWII in adulthood.
Silent Generation 1925 – 1945 Experience WWII in childhood
Baby Boomers
Boom Generation/Hippie 1946 -1964 Space Exploration/ first counter culture
Generation X
Baby Busters 1965 -1980 Experienced Vietnam War/Cold War
MTV or Boomerang Generation 1975 – 1985 Rise of Mass Media/end cold war
Generation Y
Echo Boom/Generation McGuire 1978-1990 Rise of the Information Age/ Internet/War on Terror/Rising Gas and Food Prices
Generation Z
New Silent Generation 1995- 2009 Never experience pre Internet/dot com bubble/ Digital globalisation
Generation Alpha
No sub name as yet but possibly the school or materialistic generation 2010 – These are predicted to study longer and be more concerned with material possessions.
As well as putting your generation, please also put whether you lived (at the time of writing) in what country and whether in a regional/rural area or a city.
My belief is that our location and the generation into which we were born see very different experiences of growing up as we relook at Times Past. I hope you’ll join in. Put a link to your post and I will add it in my post so that it is easy to read others experiences. Lets get started.
© irene waters 2015
Prompt 1: The first time I remember eating in a restaurant in the evening.
While today we take restaurant dining as a natural occurrence in which possibly the entire family partakes, friends socialise and lovers woo, I don’t think this has always been the case. Several years ago when I asked my mother (Silent Generation) what was the biggest change she had seen in her lifetime she chose over all the technological changes and man landing on the moon, the fact that people no longer had morning and afternoon teas. In her day these were how people socialised and the dinner out was rare.
Questions you might like to answer of consider:
Generation
Location
How old were you when you first had an evening meal in a restaurant that you remember?
What food did you eat?
How did you behave?
Who were you with?
Was there anything memorable about the evening?
Was it for some type of celebration?
My first Night time Restaurant Meal
Generation: Baby Boomer
Location: rural NSW Australia.
I was ten before I had my first meal in a restaurant. There weren’t any restaurants in the town I lived apart from the hotel dining rooms and they were places that were not considered proper for a young lady or any self-respecting person (in my parent’s opinion). There was one fish and chip shop (take-away) until the delicatessen opened in town and then we bought (takeaway) the occasional BBQ chook. Around the same time the motel opened a Chinese restaurant.
We were taken to celebrate a wedding anniversary (I think silver but I could be wrong) of some friends of my parents. There were probably ten of us in total and we sat at a long table covered by a white starched linen tablecloth. No-one knew in those days that Chinese is best shared so we all ordered a plate each. My brother and I had been read the riot act and were under strict instructions to be on our best behaviour. That meant not being heard.
My brother took this to heart to such an extent when he was the only person not to be served he sat there in silence. It wasn’t until someone noticed that he didn’t have a plate in front of him (while everyone else had almost finished their meals) that it was finally brought to the waiters attention. He would have gone home hungry rather than raise his voice.
We moved to Sydney a couple of years later but it was not until I left home that I again ate out in a restaurant of an evening.
Looking forward to hearing your experiences. Respond anytime in the month of January. The next prompt will be on February 2nd
Responses:
Silent Generation
Cleveland, Ohio
http://mumbletymuse.com/2016/01/02/dining-out-as-a-member-of-the-silent-generation/
Baby Boomers
rural Dakota USA
Manhattan New York
suburbs Surrey/ rural New Forest
http://geofflepard.com/2016/01/03/eating-out/
working class Northern England
http://annegoodwin.weebly.com/annecdotal/-restaurant-meals-memoir-as-social-history
New York City, New York
Phoenix Arizona
Brighton England,
Generation X
rural Northern California
rural Lincolnshire U.K.
Reflections and Nightmares- Irene A Waters (writer and memoirist) 
This looks interesting.
I’ll be back…
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Would love to see you back Dawn. The more the merrier.
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Pingback: Dining Out | lifelessons – a blog by Judy Dykstra-Brown
What a great start. The memory juices are already flowing….
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Hope to see you back then Geoff. 🙂
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I am part of the generation sometimes called “The Silent Generation”. Some references call it “The Lucky Few” as well, and I’ve elected to build my blog around that name. I am currently posting articles about my childhood on the prairies in Canada, and ask readers to click on the link to my blog to see these. But your challenge sounds interesting, and I’ll be back to participate!
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Love to see you back to participate. Your blog was responsible for the idea of this challenge. Differences between generations fascinates me so looking forward to hopefully reading yours and many more.
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This Gen Xer in rural Idaho will join you! This will be fun and the insights interesting to read. Do you want a linked response here in the comments?
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Look forward to a Gen X response, especially one from rural Idaho. A linked response would be good and then I will add it to the post itself to make it easy for people to read the others. You do a sterling job with your compilations but I don’t think I could manage that at the moment.
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I have a process, which can be imperfect, but isn’t as time consuming as it looks. 🙂 Okay! I’ll be back with a link.
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Glad for your process as I worry about your time. Look forward to reading about dining in Idaho.
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In truth, my process gives me a needed rhythm to my week which is the cog that gets my other work churning. In a way, I need it!
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Pingback: Weekend Coffee Share 2nd January 2016 | Reflections and Nightmares- Irene A Waters (writer and memoirist)
I don’t mind very well do I, Irene? I was a baby boomer–one of the first. I think your question and answer to it are great and I look forward to the answers of others. Judy
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Thanks for joining in Judy. I’m looking forward to all the responses also. I have expectations as to what will be the differences but I may find there are many similarites also. Cheers Irene
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Reblogged this on lifelessons – a blog by Judy Dykstra-Brown and commented:
I love this prompt question asked by Irene Waters and want to encourage friends and other bloggers to participate.
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Hi… please count me in! I am of the Silent Generation (born 1934) in Cleveland Ohio USA
I understand that I am to post to my blog, “Sometimes” and link to you here…is that right?
thanks
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Hi Grandmama, That’s right. I have received your entry. Thanks so much for joining in. I loved reading your experiences, so different to what I know my nephews are experiencing today.
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When we get back from Arizona in a few weeks, I’ll be very interested in participating. I’ve followed you, in the meantime. Great idea!
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Will look forward to reading your experience of restaurant dining Marilyn. Have a great tip to Arizona. I have visions of a huge desert but I bet that is only part of it. Cheers Irene
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Pingback: Times Past | Baby Boomers | Espiritu en Fuego/A Fiery Spirit
Irene, Here is my Entry for this tasty trip down Memory Lane!! http://dancingpalmtrees.com/2016/01/02/times-past-baby-boomers/
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And what a wonderful response deBorah. It showed me a type of restaurant previously unknown to me.
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This is brilliant. I’m thinking on it. I thought it would be easy but, alas, I’m chatting with hubby and we realized we didn’t go out when we were young! I’m shocked. Fantastic question.
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That is interesting. So far it has been rare for everyone. I was expecting a change from the generation after the baby boomers but perhaps it was even later. Possibly though it was location that decided it. I’m looking forward to some entries from Europe where there has been a restaurant culture for much longer … perhaps.My nephews have been included in restaurant outings since they were born so maybe it changed with generation Z
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Pingback: Eating Out | TanGental
I’m planning on joining in this one, Irene. Memoir as social history is something I can just about get my head round! great idea.
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It’ll be good to have you join in.Social history is what interests me also with memoir. Putting the personal to history brings it alive.
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Mine’s up now, thanks for the prompt, Irene.
http://annegoodwin.weebly.com/annecdotal/-restaurant-meals-memoir-as-social-history
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Thanks Anne. It has added to the mix beautifully and I waffled on in your comments about memoir vs fiction. It is an interesting subject to ponder why one does one chooses memoir over fiction to write. I was about to start waffling again but have decided to give the question more thought as it is an interesting point you’ve raised. Enjoyed reading your real life and also your fiction. Thanks for taking part.
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Love this Irene, and you can count on me joining in as a tail-end baby boomer, ha 🙂 I shall return…
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Will love to have you join in Sherri. The more people that do the more we can draw conclusions about the different generations and locations in the world.
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Thanks Irene 🙂
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What a great idea to capture some specific social scenes! I might have to squeeze some time in just to grasp onto the notion that I’m Generation X! I thought I was way too old to be that COOL! Tricky though – all very murky in my head!
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Hope you can get your head around being a generation Xer. LOL
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Ha ha! The BEST part is my other half is in the more ‘aged’ category. Xx
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So is mine but probably further along the scale than yours.
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Lol xx
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Love this, just have no real idea of when I went to a restaurant for the first time
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Thanks Solveig. It is interesting how common it is now to go to a restaurant but back then. I’d love to know when it became the norm for families to eat out. Perhaps if you don’t join in this one the next prompt might see you with some memories.
You’ve reminded me that I had planned to return and check our your traditions challenge.
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Pingback: Weekend Coffee Share: 9th January 2015 | Reflections and Nightmares- Irene A Waters (writer and memoirist)
Representing for Gen X: http://carrotranch.com/2016/01/11/times-past-food-from-the-sea/ Thanks for the challenge! I like that this is monthly. It give me time to read all the responses as they roll in.
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Thanks for your wonderful addition Charli. Monthly works well as it does give time for all the busy people to think about their experiences and to read the entries as they come in.
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Charli just letting you know your link to my page is not working. Thought I’d take a short cut. Cheers Irene
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Jules kindly pointed out the broken link and I fixed it (she also posted it). All good now!
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Pingback: Snails and Oysters (1.11 m/f) | Jules in Flashy Fiction
Here you go, sort of a two fer:
Snails and Oysters
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Jules that is a fantastic memory of your restaurant experiences. I can remember some restaurants I used to visit in the seventies that were down stairs in the basement. You’ve shown us a different side of eating out as your Father was a restauranteur and you have given us a different perspective from the experience most of the entries to date have had. Thanks for joining in. I loved your story although I imagine it was a difficult time for you, Thank you for sharing it.
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I guess that is why we attempt to suppress some memories. But at least I can laugh at them now 🙂
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That is a good place to be Jules. Laughing at memories is better than letting them take you down.
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Love the sociological bent of this challenge Irene. I couldn’t resist. Baby Boomer. Phoenix, Arizona.
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Skipping in a FULL day before the deadline. You have no idea how smug I feel!
Great prompt even if it brought back something cringy!
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Glad you snuck in Lisa and shared you experiences of eating out with us. Not sure whether Lincolnshire is city or rural or perhaps it is a shire and neither. It may have brought back something cringy but you told it in a way that brought a smile. Are you still a vegetarian?
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Lincolnshire is definitely rural! Large flat expanses of fen land, mainly given over to grain, peas and potatoes, some beef cattle called The Lincolnshire Red.
And arguably not a proper vegetarian since I reintroduced some fish xx
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I finally found my way here to check out this prompt. I have no idea when I first ate in a restaurant. A Baby Boomer, belonging to a poor rural family, it would have been with my first husband who normally chose pub meals and takeaways over anything else. It was likely to be celebration and was most likely a Chinese restaurant.
Looking forward to the February prompt, Irene. Love this idea.
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Glad to have you join in Christine. Eating out was certainly a rarity for us Baby Boomers and it seems also for those before us and those after. I think though you probably have the pleasure of being the eldest of the BBs as you didn’t dine out of a night until you were married. Most seemed to have one meal out as a child. Mine was Chinese also. Hope you are going to join us for tales of laundry.
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Laundry? I must swing by and have a look. I can feel a post coming on already!
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Can’t wait, but of course I will.
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Pingback: Times Past Challenge: Chinese Spoons And Eating Out | A View From My Summerhouse
Made it Irene, just! Thanks so much for extending the deadline, here’s my link: http://sherrimatthewsblog.com/2016/02/01/times-past-challenge-chinese-spoons-and-eating-out/ It brought back one memory that surprised me, of eating out at Berni Inn in the 70s! Great challenge my friend, looking forward very much to February’s! 🙂 ❤
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Wonderful memories Sherri. Great addition to the mix. 🙂
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Thank you Irene, your wonderful prompt gets the memories flowing!
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