Growing up, my parents worked two jobs each, so I spent most of my time with my retired grandfather. Let me tell you folks, I never once understood the way he did things. He was like a baffling magical mystery to me. Like, why are we saving all these newspapers and is there a reason we are driving for hours a day going to five different grocery stores looking for the best deals on a can of tomato paste?
As I got older I learned about the extreme poverty and oppression he fled when he escaped Cuba. That answered some of my questions but seriously didn't we spend more resources than we saved going on the quest for tomato paste? Apparently I'm not the only confused one.
Reddit user Blueeeocean asked:
Young People Share What They "Just Don't Get" About Older Generations
The answers had us over here waving our hands in the air like we were at church. JUST FOLLOW THE GPS, DAD! Here are some of the top responses, edited for content/clarity if needed.
Reading Is Fundamental
My grandma forgets how to use the remote control to her TV. She can read and is still all there, I just don't understand why you don't remember or just read the words for the on/off, change channel/volume button, etc.
Sorry grams!
- NoEarCat
Extra Naked
Why are you so naked in the locker rooms? I get we are all naked, but you guys are like, extra naked.
The Nice GPS Lady
Just follow what the GPS says Dad. Okay, if it was faster the nice lady in the GPS probably would have said so and even if your convoluted route might work, at best it'll shave like three minutes off the trip and at worst it'll add an hour.
America's Obesity
Produce so many, universally delicious, pies. And cookies. I'm 90% sure my grandma is the primary source of America's obesity.
Who Raised Them?
Complaining about the millennial generation without recognizing that they raised us...
- Goose500
Writing Checks
Writing checks at stores. I'm not even that young, I'm 38, hell I had a class in school about balancing checkbooks and writing checks and all that.
I hate writing checks, I can't fathom why you wouldn't want to just swipe a card and be done with it? Instead you slow down the line while you write your check and enter it in the register.
- ghunt81
News
Watch the news 24/7.
Its so depressing and sad. Then they complain that their lives are sad. Come cook or sew with me. Lets go for a stroll around the house. Lets talk about your childhood, i don't know, just something besides arguments, fights, and death on the TV.
An Address Book
My mum still has all her contacts in an address book, she has an iPhone with all of her contacts in that but al ot of the time she still pulls out old the address book and types the phone number in.
If she wants to call Jan, Jan's number comes up after she types in 0456 but she still types the rest of the number.
I've stopped suggesting she uses the "Contacts" app.
The Mail
I don't understand their obsession with the mail and b*tching about the mailman if their pile of junk mail is an hour later than usual.
I once stood outside with my grandma while she waited for her mail. She wouldn't shut up about how late it was, and for what? It all wound up in the trash five minutes later.
Fancy Fragile Plates
China dining sets.
Both sets of my grandparents and all of their friends had these really elaborate, pretty sets of China that sat in the cabinet for years collecting dust. They seemed very proud of them, but if anybody so much as looked at them, they would get barked at to be careful. Us kids were warned in no uncertain terms that if we ever touched them, it would be our last day on this planet.
What is the point of owning fancy, fragile plates that you never use?
Politics, Unprovoked
This seems to be old men especially, but why do they like to bring up politics unprovoked? My dad is old and loves to being up the state of our nation during parties and at dinner when I'm just talking about work. I've had people bring up Trump while I'm ringing their groceries out. Thanks for your view on politics, but I just asked if you wanted to donate to childrens fund because I'm required to.