15 Life Skills Boomers Mastered That Are Slowly Being Forgotten
CindyIn this fast-paced society, it's easy to overlook the practical skills your grandparents once considered essential life skills. People rely so heavily on technology to do the heavy lifting that many skills the older generation viewed as necessities are no longer commonplace in society. The following are fifteen skills that people just don't seem to have anymore.
1. Preserving Food
Knowing how to preserve food was once essential for survival. Canning and pickling produce were common household chores. While the older generation needed these skills to provide for their families, currently, most people prefer to shop at the supermarket.
2. Hunting
Hunting was one scene as a rite of passage, especially among young men. While the older generation would have planned hunting trips, the average person today wouldn't have a clue where to start. Hunting requires tracking, capturing, and preparing the animal for consumption, skills that people no longer value.
3. Planting and Harvesting Crops
Gardening has become more popular in recent years. However, most people don't realize how much work and expertise goes into planting and harvesting crops. You would need comprehensive knowledge of how to plant different crops and recognize the signs that they are ready to be harvested.
4. Crocheting
Crocheting has recently increased in popularity once again, though it's practiced more as a hobby than a life skill. Crocheting was once used to create warm blankets and clothing and was a skill passed on from one generation to the next. Currently, crocheting is more about relaxation and creativity than anything else.
5. Woodworking
The ability to work with what to create furniture, toys, and tools was once essential and a viable career path. Woodworking was even taught to young people at school. While most people might be used to assembling furniture from the manufacturer's box, knowing how to craft something from scratch is highly uncommon.
6. Reading a Compass
Have you ever used a compass before? With GPS programmed into every smartphone, many people have never even seen a compass. The older generation understood the usefulness of a compass for navigating and orienting yourself while out in the wild. However, the only people who still use a physical compass instead of GPS do it for fun rather than necessity.
7. Mechanical Drawing
Engineers and architects of the past would need to learn mechanical drawing, or drafting, to create precise representations within their drawings. With digital tools taking over the industry, learning to draft by hand is no longer necessary.
8. Letter Writing
When was the last time you wrote a letter? The generations of the past relied on letters to communicate with one another. However, with emails and instant messaging readily available, letter writing is a dying art. Many young people aren't even aware of the correct way to address a formal letter.
9. . Mental Mathematics
Mental mathematics was once a skill taught to children at schools. However, with calculators and smartphones readily available, mental math now seems obsolete. Although quickly performing calculations in your mind is helpful, unfortunately, people are slowly moving away from learning to perform mental math.
10. Writing a Check
Many young people think that using a checkbook is old-fashioned. In this digital age, people are increasingly opting to go paperless. Although a checkbook could be helpful in certain situations, writing a check has become a rarity with so many alternative payment options available.
11. Ironing
Boomers wouldn't imagine putting on an outfit without ensuring it was ironed correctly. With wrinkle-free fabrics and busy lifestyles, many people avoid ironing as much as possible. Although ironing is an incredibly useful skill, there are young people who have never seen an iron outside of film and television.
12. Resume Writing
The job market is becoming increasingly competitive; however, resume writing is becoming less common. Although the older generations value a well-written physical resume, application and recruitment trends are changing. Many people applying for jobs would prefer a personal website or profile that displays their skills, education, and capabilities rather than presenting a sheet or two of paper.
13. Using a Dictionary
Finding the definition of words is easier than ever before. While past generations would need to understand how to look up definitions using the dictionary guide words, this skill is slowly becoming obsolete. With the internet readily available, as well as dictionary apps, finding the word you're looking for is easier than ever.
14. Memorizing
With smartphones, any information you need is right at your fingertips. While people once needed to rely on their ability to memorize information, they now rely heavily on their devices. Since phone numbers, lists, calendar events, and more are all stored on smartphones; most people don't make the effort to commit anything to memory.
15. Addressing an Envelope
Many young people entering the working world have no idea how to address an envelope properly. While communicating via letters was commonplace for the older generations, knowing where to write the name and address on an envelope and place the stamp isn't something that people commonly do today.
She started her blog, The Money Dreamer, when she realized the 9-5 job was not the lifestyle she wanted anymore. After designing for a while, she wanted a more meaningful life, which was freedom, so she decided to venture out. She took action so that she can live her dream life and decided to help people to live theirs by helping them how to save, budget, and invest.
