Do You Recognize This Old-School Communication Tool?

Times are changing and it seems as if the more we progress, the faster they change. The one thing that hasn’t changed is our need to communicate but the way we communicate has adjusted over the years.

Many of us can probably look back and remember the time when we were tethered to the wall when we wanted to talk to someone on the phone. We wrote letters and put them in the mail and if somebody wasn’t home, we couldn’t talk to them at that moment.

These days, we communicate by sending text messages or messages over social media. We have video calls and if we can get in touch with somebody, it quickly gets on our nerves.

There have also been a number of innovations over the years that were brilliant in their time but these days, they are not used very often. That is especially true in the day when we used to use the Postal Service to deliver letters and packages on a regular basis.

One of the most important things to consider when delivering a letter or package was the weight. It would make a difference in the shipping rate, and that is where this unique invention, the postal scale, comes into play.

Long before we were sending emails and text messages, we were delivering things through the Postal Service. Analog mechanisms that included balances and springs were used to determine how much we would pay in postage. It wasn’t an exact science, but it was close enough.

Postal scales still exist today but they are much more advanced. They are precise instruments that have advanced features and it makes it much less personal when it comes to getting service at the post office.

Aside from the fact that the older postal scales were not 100% accurate, the design and nostalgia are something to consider. These are more than an item that used to weigh the letters we sent, they are collector’s items and some enthusiasts will pay big money for them.

So if you ever see a vintage postal scale, stop to ponder over what it may have done in its lifetime. It’s an item we don’t use as much anymore, but it is an item from time that we should forget.

Mom Leaves Note on “Disrespectful” Son’s Door – What She Wrote is Taking the Internet by Storm

Most adults know that being a grown-up isn’t as simple as it seems to a child.

Kids might see things like food in the fridge, a comfy home, and unlimited internet, but they often don’t understand the work it takes to have those things. One mom decided to teach her disrespectful son a funny, “real world” lesson to show him that “nothing comes for free.”

In 2015, Heidi Johnson was struggling with her defiant 13-year-old son, Aaron. She explained that Aaron “wanted the benefits of growing up without the responsibility that comes with it.”

Aaron had started making a little bit of money as a YouTuber and thought he didn’t have to follow his mom’s rules about doing his homework. He even stormed out of her room, saying he was a “free person” because he was “making money.”

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In response to his behavior, the single mother wrote a “tough love” letter to Aaron and shared it on Facebook. Almost ten years later, her post has gone viral again.

Johnson’s note begins, “Since you seem to have forgotten that you’re only 13, and I’m the parent, and that you don’t want to be controlled, I guess you need a lesson in independence.” In what she called a “roommate contract,” she laid out the rules Aaron would need to follow if he wanted to act like an adult.

She continued, “Since you’re earning money now, it should be easier for you to pay back for everything I’ve bought for you.” Johnson added that if he wanted things like his lamp, lightbulbs, or access to the internet, he’d have to pay his part of the costs.

In her letter, Johnson listed the conditions Aaron would need to follow, including paying for rent and utilities. She also expected him to cook his own meals and help with regular cleaning around the house.

Johnson signed the letter, “Love, Mom.”

Taking Action

Living in Venice, Italy, Johnson shared that when Aaron saw the letter taped to his door, he crumpled it up, threw it on the floor, and stormed out of their apartment.

Johnson felt he just needed some time to think—and she used that time to start taking back some of the things from his room.

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Once Aaron had time to think, he asked his mom what he could do to start re-earning his privileges. He even gathered more items from his room and handed them to her, asking how he could earn them back.

Johnson explained that this was never about making him pay her back; it was about teaching him to understand the cost of things. Aaron quickly realized he couldn’t afford rent, utilities, or food on his own.

Online commenters supported her approach, praising her for her creative discipline style. One person wrote, “Great job! Nothing in the agreement is harsh, but it will teach him a lesson he’ll remember.” Another said, “You’re an amazing mom for giving your son a chance to learn and grow.” A third comment added, “Bravo for being a parent and not just a maid.”

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Some people accused her of publicly shaming her son. In response, Johnson wrote another post saying she was “not ashamed” of what she did.

“A teenager will push their limits,” she explained. “They’re in a stage where they’re stepping into adulthood but still rooted in childhood… I can’t send this child into college or the workforce with an attitude of ‘I’ll get to it when I feel like it’ when a boss asks him to get a job done. That’s how the real world works.”

Johnson ended by saying, “Nothing in life is free. Somewhere, someone is making a sacrifice.”

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