10 Skills Boomers Mastered By Age 15
By Bruce Shawkey
Great article on the Web.
Remember those giant folded maps that never quite went back together the same way? Boomers could plot a cross-country road trip with nothing but a Rand McNally atlas and actually arrive at their destination.
2. Writing in cursive fluently
By 15, boomers could write entire essays in flowing cursive without thinking twice about it. It was as natural as texting is to us now.
3. Basic car maintenance and troubleshooting
Teenage boomers knew how to change a tire, check oil levels, jump-start a battery, and diagnose basic engine problems. Cars were simpler then, sure, but the knowledge was also expected.
Today's 30-somethings often don't even know how to open their hood, much less identify what they're looking at underneath it.
4. Cooking full meals from scratch without recipes
By their teens, boomers could prepare complete dinners using whatever was in the pantry, no recipe app required. They understood flavor combinations, cooking times, and how to improvise when ingredients were missing.
5. Mental math and making change
Cash registers that calculated change didn't exist everywhere, so young boomers had to quickly calculate totals, tax, and change in their heads. They could split restaurant bills without phones and figure out tips instantly.
6. Mending and altering clothes
Sewing wasn't just for home economics class. Teenagers knew how to hem pants, fix tears, sew on buttons, and even alter clothes to fit better. Clothes were expensive and meant to last, so these skills were essential.
7. Using reference books and card catalogs
Research meant knowing the Dewey Decimal System, using encyclopedias effectively, and navigating library card catalogs. Boomers could find information without search engines, using cross-references and indices like pros.
8. Growing and preserving food
Many teenage boomers knew how to plant gardens, harvest vegetables, and preserve food through canning or freezing. This wasn't hobby farming; it was practical household management.
9. Typing on a typewriter with accuracy
Before delete keys and autocorrect, boomers learned to type accurately because mistakes meant starting over or using correction fluid. They could bang out error-free pages under deadline pressure.
10. Memorizing important information
Phone numbers, addresses, birthdays, account numbers, directions; boomers kept all this in their heads. Their memory muscles were constantly exercised because there was no digital backup.
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